Overview

• Vox leader Santiago Abascal tied Open Arms to a reported sexual assault of a 14-year-old in Madrid and wrote on X: "Hay que echarlos. Hay que hundirlos."
• Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded on X that "defender España es defender la vida" and voiced support and recognition for those who save lives at sea.
• Several ministers denounced Abascal’s remarks, with Félix Bolaños calling them hate speech and Ana Redondo labeling them inhuman, while Óscar Puente called Abascal fascist.
• Open Arms said being targeted by "los enemigos del mundo" is a badge of honor and vowed to keep working "frente al miedo y frente al odio."
• The Open Arms vessel remains in Santa Cruz de Tenerife; reporting says the deployment addresses arrivals from Mauritania and Senegal, and one outlet reported the Air Force refused involvement.