A block of concrete stolen from an artificial reef in British waters has sparked a political spat between Gibraltar and Spanish far-right party Vox, with the British overseas territory’s Chief Minister making a formal complaint to Madrid demanding that it be returned.

This comes as seemingly never ending negotiations between Britain and Spain to finalise Gibraltar’s post-Brexit status drag on.

The block was stolen from waters close to Gibraltar in 2013 by Vox spokesman Javier Ortega Smith, an outspoken Spanish nationalist and former special forces soldier. 

Spanish media reports suggest the justification at the time was that the artificial reef was impeding the work of Spanish fishermen and that Ortega Smith was aided by Spanish divers. The creation of the reef, which included tens of concrete blocks, aggravated relations between Britain and Spain at the time.

READ ALSO: ‘Starting now’: New UK govt wastes no time in Gibraltar post-Brexit talks with Spain

Once stolen, the block was taken back to Madrid and is displayed at Vox’s national party headquarters. Gibraltarian authorities then issued an arrest warrant for Ortega Smith.

Now over a decade later Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has filed a claim in Madrid for the block’s return. Speaking on Gibraltar’s national day, Picardo stated “That block is currently at the entrance of the Vox headquarters. Well, I have news for Vox and for you, my friends. We are going to get it back and it is coming home.”

Speaking to The Times, Picardo explained: “It’s our property. We want it back. It was paid for by Gibraltar’s taxpayers for a conservation purpose which was praised by King Charles himself. We expect the Spanish courts will order its return to the government of Gibraltar.”

In response Ortega Smith mocked Picardo online and employed common anti-Gibraltarian tropes: “Let’s see, pirate Fabian Picardo. If you dare, come and get it and carry it away on your back. Gibraltar is Spanish! Pirates out of the Rock!”

A ver, pirata @FabianPicardo, si te atreves vente tú a buscarlo y te lo llevas a lomos.

¡¡Gibraltar español!! ¡¡Fuera piratas del Peñón!! pic.twitter.com/NeVs6cF1Jk

— Javier Ortega Smith (@Ortega_Smith) September 10, 2024

For the Spanish far-right, Gibraltar has long been a blood and soil type rallying call for nationalist groups. In July, when the Spanish football team won Euro 2024, another diplomatic spat erupted when Spanish players sang Gibraltar es Español (Gibraltar is Spanish) during the celebrations. 

READ ALSO: ‘Gibraltar is Spanish!’: How Spain celebrated Euro 2024 heroes

Although a dispute over a concrete block stolen over a decade ago may seem trivial, it comes at a critical point in diplomatic relations between London and Madrid. Since Brexit came into effect at the end of 2020, Gibraltar has essentially existed in legal limbo with no formal treaty.

Border controls have been fudged ever since, leaving locals and Spaniards across the border faced with inconsistent rules and forcing travellers to find creative ways to bypass rules and get over ‘La Línea’. 

READ ALSO: Hard border? What we know so far about new Gibraltar-Spain checks

Schengen Zone rules mean that the two major outstanding points in treaty negotiations are the presence of Spanish border guards on British soil, something Gibraltar rejects outright, and the question of who would run Gibraltar’s airport, which is located on the isthmus between Spain and the British territory, an area Madrid claims was never included in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht that ceded Gibraltar to the British.

Optimistic noises were made when former Prime Minister David Cameron briefly became Foreign Secretary earlier this year but no treaty was ever finalised. His successor David Lammy will likely try and incorporate a deal with Madrid, overseen by the EU, as part of the new Labour government’s wider reset in relations with Europe. He has already signalled his intent and spoken to his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares soon after the UK general election over the summer.

Gibraltar’s post-Brexit status will also be one of the first issues in the intray of incoming British Ambassador Alexander Ellis KCMG, who took over from Hugh Elliott last week. His diplomatic skills may be necessary to get a treaty deal over the line, some eight years after the Brexit referendum. 

Ellis previously worked as the British ambassador in Brazil and Portugal and was also British High Commissioner in India. Following the Brexit referendum he also worked for two years in the department responsible for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, something that may have factored into his appointment.

READ MORE: UK ambassador to Spain bids farewell to Brits – who is his successor?