The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has increased counter-surveillance measures for members of the government, while at the same time, mounting security patrols around their homes.
The Minister says he has strengthened the safety of members of the Government following an increase in the demonstrations against their handling of the pandemic, and concern that they could become the target of aggression.
The State Security Forces have therefore intensified counter-surveillance measures in anticipation of potential threats, and have put measures in place to secure the perimeters of the homes of high-ranking officials, many of home have been the target of demonstrations in the past week.
The decision comes after the increase in protests against the Executive that started just over a week ago in Calle Núñez de Balboa in Madrid, in the heart of the Salamanca district, one of the most affluent in the capital.
The first spontaneous gatherings on public roads have since been escalating in intensity and now they are focused directly on the homes of members of the Government themselves. Some have already seen confrontations between demonstrators and ministers while others have actually reached the doors of the ministers’ houses.
Last Sunday, dozens of protesters walked around the outside of the property shared by the second vice president, Pablo Iglesias , and the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, in the Madrid municipality of Galapagar. And on Monday there was another demonstration in front of the state-owned estate where the Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, and the Minister of Economic Affairs, Nadia Calviño, currently live with their respective families .
We are told that after the incidents that occurred during the last few days analysis suggests that such incidents are likely to be repeated in the short-medium term, so it has been agreed to increase the daily frequency of preventive controls and to assign more agents to this task.
Security of ministers is a key element in the responsibilities of the Minister of the Interior, along with the dynamic escorts that accompany the personality everywhere and static guards who are permanent at the place of residence and reserved only for a dozen senior officials in Spain.
The additional reinforcements are said to be temporary and will be revaluated, depending on how the social conflict develops. However the demonstrations seen across the country on Saturday against the government’s handling of the covid-19 crises will have served up a little more discomfort towards Moncloa so there seems little likelihood at this time of the security being reigned back.
