At least 37 people died during a massive attempt to jump the fence surrounding the Spanish enclave of Melilla.    Photo: AP

By Guillermo Alvarado

At least 37 people were killed during a massive attempt to jump the fence surrounding the Spanish enclave of Melilla, located in North Africa bordering Morocco, in one of the most ruthless acts perpetrated this year against migrants there.

The members of the group, around two thousand, were originally from various Sub-Saharan African countries and were attacked with excessive force by the Moroccan police, who also caused numerous injuries, several of them extremely serious, so the number of deaths could increase.

 Several non-governmental organizations working in the area to help those who move through desert terrain, denounced the brutal action of the agents and demanded a rigorous international investigation to determine responsibilities.

Deep indignation was caused in Spain by the inhuman declarations of the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, who applauded the Moroccan regime for its role in these events and assured in public statements that the operation had been "well resolved".

He did not say a single word of regret for the number of dead and injured, nor did he show any pity for the families of the victims.

Nor did he refer to the fact that those who managed to cross the fence were summarily expelled, even though they knew that on the other side they would be beaten and would be in danger of death.

This is not the first time that this border crossing has claimed human lives, as throughout 2021 some two thousand people perished trying to reach Melilla by land or by sea.

The fence, which may have inspired Donald Trump to try to build a wall to separate neighboring Mexico, has a dismal human rights record.  The first sections were erected in 1971 to prevent the spread of a cholera outbreak in Morocco.

Already intended as an anti-immigrant barrier, it was built in 1998, during the administration of José María Aznar, and in 2005 José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, in a very civilized move, ordered the installation of sharp blades at the top to cause injuries to those who tried to climb it.

The shocking images of the deep cuts on the hands and legs of the migrants caused such repulsion that they had to be removed a few years later.

The building has sensors to detect movement, night vision equipment and watchtowers with armed guards, all to protect Spanish "democracy" from the barbarians from Africa, who are neither blond nor blue-eyed.