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Letter: When Ceuta voted for Spain

Olga Bel
Monday 16 June 1997 23:02 BST
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When Ceuta voted for Spain

Sir: As a native of Ceuta, I would like to answer Mr J Evans' (letter, 12 June) reference to the "conquest" of Ceuta and its "devolution" to Morocco.

Morocco was constituted as an independent country in 1956. Ceuta has been Spanish since 1668. In 1581 King Philip II inherited the Portuguese and the Spanish throne. Through the Treaty of Lisbon in 1640, Portugal became independent, together with all its territories. However, there was a city that wished to remain faithful to the Castilian throne. One of the first referendums in modern history was carried out and the result was that the people of Ceuta wanted to be Spanish. Ceuta has never been "conquered" by the Spaniards and it has never belonged to Morocco. It is impossible to compare the situation of Gibraltar and Ceuta.

OLGA BEL

Ceuta,

Spain

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