Spain celebrates its national Columbus Day

USPA NEWS - Spain celebrated Thursday its most important national holiday of Columbus Day, amid a territorial crisis that threatens the country's unity. The declaration of Catalan independence has awakened the national sentiment in the Spaniards, who this year overturned with the military parade that commemorates this day. A day that, however, was overshadowed by the accident suffered by a fighter Eurofighter of the Spanish Army of Air, that crashed when it returned to its base after participating in the military parade.

The pilot of the plane, a captain of the Air Force, who some Spanish media emphasize that he did not jump of the apparatus to avoid that it crashed against houses near the air base to which it returned, it died in the act. The news surprised the Kings of Spain and the Government in the traditional reception offered by the monarchs in the Royal Palace of Madrid. Prime Minister Rajoy and Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal left the reception to travel to Albacete (near Madrid), where the Eurofighter accident occurred, whose causes are being investigated.

The apparatus had just participated in a military parade presided over by the Kings of Spain and followed by tens of thousands of people who wanted to show their support to the Armed Forces at a time of serious territorial crisis in Spain. For the first time after 30 years of absence, the National Police participated in the parade along with units of the three armies, the Civil Guard, the Emergency Military Unit and the Medical Emergency Service of Madrid.

This year, the celebration had a special memory for the victims of the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, with the presence of ambassadors from countries with deceased foreign nationals (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, United States, Germany, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom and Australia), as well as the family of Ignacio Echeverria, the young Spaniard who died in the London bombing. The parade also recalled the historical route of the 'Spanish Way' between Milan and Brussels, with uniforms of the Third World. Also participating were 120 French gendarmes who are trained in antiterrorist struggle with the Civil Guard, in addition to the flag of Lebanon for the first time, a country where there is Spanish participation in peacekeeping mission since 2006 and whose soldiers, after taking a position to the self-denominated Islamic State, they waved a Spanish flag next to the Lebanese, in a sign of solidarity after the attacks of Barcelona and Cambrils.

Also participated several support patrols took part in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Mali, Lebanon and Operation Atalanta against piracy in the Indian Ocean. After the events and after being dismissed by the President of the Government, the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff of the Defense, the Kings moved in a caravan, escorted by the Royal Escort Squadron, to the Royal Palace of Madrid, where place the traditional reception on the occasion of the National Holiday Day. Without cameras or tape recorders, it is traditional that this talk is about politics. This Thursday, however, the Eurofighter crash focused all talks.