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The Spanish Ministry of Defense has launched an official investigation after Moroccan YouTuber «Ben Nasnas» infiltrated the Chafarinas Islands, Spanish-controlled territory off the Moroccan coast, and documented his daring adventure in a video that sparked widespread controversy in both countries.
While the Defense Ministry works to determine whether there were lapses in surveillance protocols, Spain’s far-right Vox party was quick to exploit the incident. On Tuesday, it called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid to summon the Spanish ambassador in Rabat for consultations.
«This is not just a passing incident, but a provocation and a violation of our sovereignty. We must show Morocco that Spain is not a party to be trifled with», declared Javier Diego, Vox’s leader in Melilla.
The party also reignited debate over the «suspended» administrative status of Spain’s sovereign enclaves in North Africa, insisting that most should be fully integrated into Melilla because of their geographic proximity, excluding only the Vélez de la Gomera rock and Isla Perejil near Ceuta.
Vox further questioned Defense Minister Margarita Robles’ allocation of resources for monitoring the islands and rocks, accusing her of «ongoing concessions» to Morocco.
According to reports, Ben Nasnas swam nearly four kilometers to reach a rock used by the Spanish military as a cemetery, before continuing to another island hosting a Spanish army biological laboratory.
His stunt comes just days after Alfons Pérez, an MEP and secretary-general of the «The Party’s Over» (Se Acabó La Fiesta) movement, placed a Spanish flag on Isla del Mar.
The Spanish government had already earmarked €600,000 in 2024 to bolster defenses of these islands, as Minister Robles stepped up visits to Ceuta, Melilla, and the disputed territories.
