[autom.vertaling] Anglo-Spaans relaties die door cruiseschip zijn gedaald (en)

For the first time since 1985, Madrid yesterday closed the border between Gibraltar and Spain, citing a public health risk from a passenger ship docked in the British enclave.

The 13 hour border-closure was called after a cruise ship, the Aurora, docked in Gibraltar laden with passengers infected with viral gastroenteritis and after having being turned away from a Greek port.

The event has again served to highlight the bad blood between Madrid and London over control of the Rock, and has prompted waves of verbal retribution from both governments.

The UK's Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, described the Spanish reaction as "unnecessary and disproportionate", according to the Scotsman.

Meanwhile La Vanguardia reported that the Spanish Minister for Health, Ana Pastor, blamed the closure on the lack of information being supplied by the British authorities.

Bad blood

Anglo-Spanish relations have been delicate since talks on power sharing were effectively torpedoed last year by Gibraltarians who remain fiercely opposed to any Spanish rule.

The docking of the UK's nuclear submarine, the Tireless, a spat over the right of Gibraltarians to vote in the European Parliament elections, coupled with the upcoming Spanish elections have further heightened tensions.

Unsurprisingly then, this latest diplomatic incident has produced its own aurora in both Spanish and British newspapers, which point out that relations between the two countries are going Australis.

What the papers say

The Spanish government "provoked a diplomatic row with Britain" reports the Telegraph adding that the move was seen in Britain and Gibraltar "as a blatant act of political harassment".

Meanwhile the Spanish daily, El Pais asks: "[A]re we looking at a sanitary measure or a political measure with a sanitary pretext".

The paper concludes that whether the closure was aimed at curbing Spaniards' alarm over the spread of the illness or "to once more draw attention to the colonial and anachronistic situation in Peñon [the Rock]" the Spanish decision was justified.

The Gibraltar Chronicle cries foul, claiming that dialysis patients were left waiting at the border while Spanish riot police prepared to guard the border.

"The incident raises fears that Spain may return to hard-line tactics in its bid to recover sovereignty over Gibraltar" said the paper.

"There was a deep wave of anxiety sweeping through a Gibraltar that had been jolted to recall the dark days of border closure".

Local Spanish daily Diario de Cadiz, however, takes a more practical tone.

The paper says that the closure of the border caused inconvenience to workers crossing the border. "It also does not help those Spaniards in Gibraltar to coexist", it concludes.