• Holland And Barrett Vitamins Gibraltar Offer

Sep 06 - Algeciras Fisherman’s Letter To The Queen - Full Text

An Algeciras fisherman has written to Queen Elizabeth pleading with her to remove the artificial reef because it is preventing him from earning a living to feed his family. The letter has also been sent to David Cameron and Fabian Picardo.

The full text of the letter is here:

Madame: My name is Manuel Vázquez and I am a fisherman from Algeciras. I make my living working hard on the waters of the Bay of Algeciras for many years. It’s neither an easy job, nor comfortable, and I’m not going to be a wealthy man ever. But it’s my job, and thanks to it I may look into the mirror, because it’s a honest job and my family may lead a decent life and I am absolutely convinced that it will allow my children to make a better future. We are a humble family, who wakes up every morning being confident that today is better than yesterday. Future is our hope. But you have smashed it to pieces. I can’t understand why you hold me back from going out fishing every day, as I’ve done throughout my life. Why do you want to prevent me from working? I could listen to the words of Mr. Picardo saying that waters will freeze before the concrete blocks are removed. Believe me, Mr. Picardo, your words made me feel a knife which remains stuck deeply in my heart. Mr. Picardo, why do you desire such harm to my family and me? Prime Minister Cameron, why do you drop that guillotine on my son’s necks? What must I tell my sons when they feel our resources are running out? We don’t understand about politics, but how can I explain them the British Government has decided that we won’t be allowed to eat? I don’t know a lot about your country’s history, but I’m sure none of the rulers who preceded you defended their ideas and aspirations in the basis of condemning the most innocent people to hunger; people on the street; families like mine; the fishermen. Is that the idea about humanity, about human rights Great Britain leads? Please, let me live, let me eat: remove those concrete blocks. Receive anguished greetings from my wife and sons, and my wish for you to think over this problem and come back to common sense. 

Manuel Vázquez,

Fisherman,

Algeciras

This is a follow up to our report last month: http://lui.gi/6Pu1D