Book to be distributed to schoolchildren to mark ‘momentous event, of frontier closure’

The book tells the story of the troubles with Spain at the United Nations which culminated in the border closure. It then goes on to describe and document the intensification of restrictions against Gibraltar by the Franco regime, by land, by air and at sea. There is a section on the 1967 referendum, on the new Constitution and the actual closure of the gates.

The story is told through an explanatory chronology of events, photographs taken at the time, press cuttings and testimonies on the part of people who lived through the whole experience.

This is the third commemorative booklet in the series that the Government has produced. The first was published in 2015 and covered the 75th anniversary of the evacuation of the civilian population of Gibraltar during the Second World War. The second in 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, and this third one in the series deals with the closure of the frontier fifty years ago in June 1969.

MOMENTOUS EVENT

Commenting on the matter, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said: “The closure of the border was a momentous event in the history of Gibraltar. It was a nation-building moment which cemented our identity and scarred a whole generation of Gibraltarians.

"The Government believes that it is important to educate the younger generations about these key events in our political and constitutional development. The distribution of the books is an essential component of this policy and this will be accompanied by a historical lecture to older children. I have always believed that knowledge of the past is the key to the future.”

09-12-2019 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR