The mayors of the three border towns, José Luis Santano, Kotte Ecenarro and Igor Enparan, took part in an emotional hug on the pedestrian bridge that has remained closed for almost three years.
The mayors of the cities of Irun, Hendaye and Hondarribia This Monday they celebrated the reopening of the Avenida Bridge, which connects Irun (Gipuzkoa) and Hendaia (Lapurdi), after almost three years, something that, in their opinion, represents the ‘triumph’ of ‘civic power’.
The Mayor of Irun, José Antonio Santano, Kotte Ecenarro and Igor Enparantheir counterparts in Hendaia and Hondarribia, have merged into one emotional hug in a symbolic action performed on the same bridge.
The irundarra councilor has stressed that the reopening of the bridge has been possible thanks to the “sum of many things”, demands from citizens, the ‘tenacity’ of the three municipal councilswho ‘have fought and fought during these three years’.
“We have spoken to many people, we have written to the government of Spain, to the government of France, we have spoken to Ararteko, who has presented the matter to the European Union, and I believe that the key is precisely the strength of the has been a citizen.” he emphasized.
The Prefecture of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques announced two weeks ago its decision to reopen the four border crossings that were still closed, those of the Avenida Bridge and those of Larrau, Urkiaga and Izpegi (these opened today), in Navarra, as soon as the celebration of the Rugby World Cup held in France until Saturday. The French government closed them in January 2021 due to the terrorist risk.
Since then, some intersections have reopened, but not the Avenida Bridge, which remained closed until yesterday, when the barriers preventing pedestrians from passing between the two border municipalities were removed.
Institutions and social actors, against closure
Since the closure of the Avenida Bridge in January 2021, social organizations on both sides of the border have denounced that the purpose of these controls was not to reduce the terrorist risk, but rather to restrict the entry of migrants in transit.
The municipal councils of Irun, Hondarribia and Hendaia, as well as parties and institutions on both sides of the border, had urged France to reopen this border crossing, a demand supported by almost 13,000 citizen signatures.
Source: EITB
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
