This past week, the sovereignty debate was revived after British forces seized a tanker off Gibraltar that was suspected of carrying Iranian oil to Syria, in violation of international sanctions. After the capture of the tanker, Spain’s acting foreign minister, Josep Borrell, said his government would investigate whether this military intervention violated Spanish sovereignty, “in as far as it took place in waters whose sovereignty we understand to belong to Spain.”
The Island Games Association has an eclectic membership. Many of the islands are under British sovereignty, but the list includes one Greek island, Rhodes, as well as one of the Spanish islands that form the Balearic archipelago, Minorca. Britain gained sovereignty over Minorca at the same time that it took over Gibraltar, but Spain then regained Minorca under another European treaty signed in 1802.
Thousands of people cross the border every day to work in Gibraltar, which has a buoyant economy that contrasts with the high unemployment rate in Spanish towns nearby. The land connection is an important feature of the relationship between Gibraltar and Spain.
On Saturday evening, politics were pushed aside as Gibraltar inaugurated the weeklong games, in front of a packed stadium crowd — the second time the territory has hosted the games, after 1995. Spectators followed the parade of athletes from the 22 competing islands (led by those from Gibraltar), listened to military bands and watched a performance choreographed for the occasion, according to local news reports.
Combined with the fact that Gibraltar has taken part in every competition, this “is a contribution far greater than some of the other member islands,” Mr. Le Vallee, the founding member of the association, said in an email.
Before the opening of the games, residents seemed unconcerned about the territory’s being labeled an island and more worried about traffic congestion during the week’s events. They welcomed the fact that Gibraltar’s involvement in sports was raising its international profile, as well as encouraging more investment in sports infrastructure.
Source : Nytimes
