Three Spanish navy warships, the frigate Navarra and minesweepers Segura and Sella, will arrive in the port of Barcelona this Tuesday. They are to take part in the Saló Nàutic (Barcelona International Boat Show) which starts on 11th October, but their arrival also coincides with the appearance of Catalan president Carles Puigdemont in the Catalan Parliament on Tuesday, with the possibility of declaring independence on the table and a notable increase in tension since the police violence unleashed on 1st October.
According to the website Defensa.com, the three ships are part of the Spanish Navy's contribution to the International Boat Show which will run between 11th and 15th October, planned since before the political situation became more complicated.
Last year, the show saw the presence of two minesweepers, Tambre and Turia. The frigate is, therefore, a novelty, especially given the current political climate and the fact that it's a large vessel, with a crew of more than 200 people, including a group of Marines.
The ships will anchor in Port Vell and, as part of the show, are planned to set up a marquee giving information on the operations the Navy takes part in. The show is also expected to receive a visit from the Spanish Navy's Chief of Staff, General Admiral Teodoro López Calderón.
It should be noted that the Port of Barcelona is under the direct control of the Spanish state and that, currently, there are two large cruise ships there accommodating the thousands of national police agents and civil guards that took part in the police repression of the referendum, which left almost 900 injured on 1st October.
Increasing military presence
The deployment of these ships joins the, so far, discrete increase in Spanish military presence in Catalonia, with the recent arrival of Army logistical units in Sant Boi de Llobregat to give support to the police posted in Catalonia.