[REVISION HISTORY]

Security concerns and parliamentary discipline in Ceuta

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What changed

2026-10-13 10:52 UTC → 2026-10-15 13:03 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Heightened security concerns and an ongoing border crisis in Ceuta have led to a significant surge in demand for personal defense products. Local armories reported shortages and waiting lists, with sales of approved pepper sprays increasing by more than 50% in August. This demand includes residents, healthcare workers, and security forces. The security situation in Ceuta became a point of political contention in the Spanish Congress of Deputies. During a session questioning Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska about the migration crisis, Member of Parliament Ana Belén Vázquez, representing the Popular Party (PP), was expelled from the chamber after displaying a pepper spray canister. Vázquez argued that women and children in the autonomous city rely on such tools for protection, but Speaker Francina Armengol ordered the expulsion under Article 101 of the parliamentary regulations, which prohibits the display of weapons. The Speaker classified the spray as a weapon according to official registries, while Vázquez maintained the canister was empty and intended as a symbolic gesture. The incident escalated when a PP advisor attempted to clean the canister in a bathroom, causing gas to disperse throughout the building. This led to the cordoning off of several areas and approximately twelve people requiring medical attention. Following the incident, the Spanish Congress opened disciplinary proceedings against Vázquez. While the Board of the Permanent Deputation classified her actions as a “serious infraction” that exceeded limits set by any other deputy in the current constitutional period, the proceedings have been suspended. Due to the dissolution of the Cortes and the calling of early elections, the disciplinary file could not be finalized. ~~The Board, supported by PSOE and Sumar, noted that had it been possible, they would have proposed a one-week suspension, though such a sanction would have been scheduled for~~ In October 2026, the matter moved into the judicial system. A Madrid judge, Pedro Merchante, has opened a ~~period without parliamentary activity.~~ preliminary investigation into the incident regarding alleged injury.

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