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Witness History: The blockade of Gibraltar

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17/12/2020 GMT

The blockade of Gibraltar

BBC World Service - Witness History, The blockade of Gibraltar

How a Spanish blockade of the disputed British territory ended in December 1982.

In December 1982, Spain reopened its border with Gibraltar after a 13-year blockade of the disputed British territory. The border was closed by the dictator General Franco and led to the separation of families as well as a hardening of Gibraltarian attitudes towards Spain. It was only reopened when the new democratic government in Madrid wanted to join the European Union. Simon Watts talks to Tito Vallejo Smith, a retired defence worker and historian. 

PHOTO: Gibraltarian and Spanish police officers side-by-side in the 1980s (Getty Images)

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