The responsible parties of the documentary series from Movistar+ and El Terrat found it «impossible» to obtain Morocco’s version
Journalist Tian Riba reconstructs, with testimonies from former Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar and former Defense Minister Federico Trillo, the case ‘Perejil. The war that never was’, a three-episode documentary mini-series dedicated to the diplomatic and military conflict between Spain and Morocco over the sovereignty of the islet of Perejil in July 2002.
«We live with our backs to Morocco because we still have a prejudice about them. Morocco is a country we do not know, and that is a mistake. In contrast, they know us very well. If we knew them, we would understand each other much better, and everything would go better. It is a country with enormous potential,» Riba stated in an interview with Europa Press, on the occasion of the premiere this Thursday of ‘Perejil’, the new project from Movistar+ and El Terrat (The Mediapro Studio).
The journalist believes that a similar conflict could arise today because «the issue is not yet resolved,» pointing out that Ceuta, Melilla, and the peninsulas «are claims that will never cease to be on the table.» However, he clarifies that Spain’s reaction could be different from back then.
«Aznar’s theory was that Morocco’s feet had to be stopped as soon as possible because otherwise, the next target would be Ceuta and Melilla. This depends on the current Spanish government, but these are issues that are not closed, that is evident,» he emphasizes.
In this sense, he asserts that «experts» claim that Spain has «hypothetical contingency plans for Morocco very well prepared and developed.» «It is true that Morocco is a partner of the United States, just like Spain, but indeed Spain is part of NATO and Morocco is not,» he insists.
«We have tried to focus precisely on the geopolitical aspect and the seriousness of what could have happened. We have tried to delve into the relationships between Spain, Morocco, France, the United States, NATO, and the European Union,» he explains.
In this regard, he recalls that the Spanish deployment on Perejil was «very intense,» and he adds that the consequences could have been serious if the operation had gone wrong. «A nervous Moroccan or a nervous Spanish soldier, a shot fired, a death, and Aznar would have resigned. And that would have changed the history of Spain as well,» he stresses. Furthermore, he insists that Spain feared there could have been an escalation by Morocco, which would have led to «a significant military conflict.»
The documentary includes key testimonies from the conflict and Spanish political authorities. In addition to the aforementioned Aznar and Trillo, former Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, as well as officials from the CNI and the United States Department of State, also appear. However, it has been «absolutely impossible» to obtain Morocco’s official version.
«In Morocco, there is still resentment over that issue, as it was considered a humiliation. Additionally, we are now in a different context where relations are good, and Moroccan diplomacy takes that into account. However, there is a version very close to the Moroccan establishment, which helps us to present their point of view on what happened,» Riba states.
The journalist acknowledges that the project has helped him understand the importance of international politics, territory, and state sovereignty, a current issue due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, as he highlights. He also recalls that they filmed the Perejil islet from the Moroccan shore because «it cannot be stepped on.»
«The agreement reached by Spain and Morocco is that it must be uninhabited, it cannot be stepped on, so it was absolutely impossible to film on Perejil. They looked for locations that resembled the island, and yes, the reconstructions we have done are based on the testimonies of the military personnel from both the Spanish and the Moroccan side,» he commented.
Tian Riba considers that the general memory society has of the conflict is «anecdotal,» and sometimes the anniversary is taken lightly, but he warns that by pulling the thread, «one can see the magnitude of what happened and what could have happened.» «Perejil is a very small island, but with a history that has a lot of geopolitics,» he concludes.
EUROPEAN REARMAMENT
The premiere of the series coincides with the European rearmament, which helps to understand how international politics work, according to its director. «The international context fits quite well because in the documentary, the role of NATO and the mediation carried out by the United States in conflicts are shown, and in the case of Perejil, there was mediation by the United States in the conflict,» Tian Riba defends.
Finally, the journalist asserts that the relations between Spain and Morocco are «always» complicated, as evidenced by Morocco «raising its hand» from time to time. «Every time Spain makes a claim or reaches an agreement on Gibraltar, the Moroccans raise their hand saying ‘well, what about Ceuta and Melilla?'», he points out.
Additionally, he states that when Morocco wants to pressure Spain, it «turns on the immigration tap and achieves things.» «I don’t know if it’s cause and effect, but in 2021, there was the jump over the Melilla fence, and Pedro Sánchez took a step further in the direction that interests Morocco, regarding the Sahara issue. There are a series of unresolved conflicts that are always current,» he concludes.