Dozens of Spanish farmers converged on Algeciras, Cádiz, on the morning of February 20th to protest the plight of rural communities and the import of Moroccan fruit and vegetables without European Union health standards. According to media reports, around 70 private trucks carrying farmers from Jaén and Seville arrived at the La Menasha industrial zone in response to a call by farming platform 6F. Their aim was to march to the port of Algeciras, but their request was denied by the National Police. Lola Guzmán, spokesperson for the platform, told reporters: «We wanted to express our gratitude to our colleagues here in person. They told us they did a wonderful job, and this is what they conveyed to us». «Every day, the situation gets worse», lamented a spokesperson for the group. «Now, the head of government says Morocco has a free market. But how much does this cost farmers, ranchers, and fishermen?» The farmers view the import of products from countries like Morocco, without meeting EU sanitary requirements, as a threat to their sector. They declared: «We don't want them to enter even with the same phytosanitary measures, because they [Morocco] are not part of the European Union». This protest highlights the ongoing tensions between Spanish farmers and the Moroccan agricultural industry, particularly regarding concerns over fair trade practices and adherence to EU standards.
