Overview

• In an X post citing La Gaceta de la Iberosfera, the Vox leader urged authorities to confiscate and sink Open Arms and labeled it a “barco de negreros.”
• Abascal later doubled down, writing “Sí, hay que hundirlo,” casting the ship as a warning to wealthy donors and politicians he accuses of promoting an invasion.
• During a visit to the vessel in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo praised its humanitarian work and called Abascal “un auténtico fascista.”
• Open Arms responded that urging the destruction of a life-saving ship is “fascismo puro,” cited more than 70,000 rescues in ten years, and outlined public outreach and school visits during its stay.
• National officials condemned the rhetoric, with ministers warning about the corrosive effects of hate speech, while no new legal proceedings have been reported.