The Audiencia Nacional has summoned the president of the autonomous city of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, as a witness for 30 September 2026 According to consistent agency reports, the judge María Tardón is seeking to establish what warnings were received before, on 30 and 31 July , there was a mass entry of migrants, and how the central authorities responded.
Vivas has said publicly on several occasions that he had repeatedly warned the central government and Moncloa in the days before the events that the situation was escalating. He also said that officials in the central administration had asked him not to press the issue further. He did not name any specific officials. His account is now the subject of the forthcoming taking of evidence. According to reports by Europa Press, Vivas intends to provide the judge with records of telephone contacts and other information to support his statements. The court will examine whether, and to what extent, these documents are available.
María Tardón’s order includes summonses for other witnesses. Among them is the former chief of staff of the Delegación del Gobierno in Ceuta, Gonzalo Sanz, who has been summoned. Investigators have also requested reports and internal alerts sent to central authorities, in order to reconstruct what information was available beforehand. Further interviews are scheduled for early October.
Politically, the hearing has reignited debate about coordination between regional and national authorities. Government representatives point to the ongoing investigation and the judiciary’s remit. The opposition has criticised the state’s preparations and communications in the days before the end-of-July events. Reliable conclusions will only be possible after the witness statements and documents have been assessed; any predictions about possible responsibility would be speculation at this stage.
What is certain is that Juan Jesús Vivas’s summons was ordered by the court and the hearing on 30 September 2026 is confirmed. Whether warnings from Ceuta were dealt with promptly and appropriately is a matter of fact that the Audiencia Nacional will now seek to establish on the basis of the evidence. Until then, claims about possible instructions from Moncloa remain allegations by the person concerned. Distinguishing documented events from politically attributed motives is central to these proceedings.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).