Eastern Libya’s Parliament Warns of Suspending Spain Ties After Ambassador Critique and Cocaine Seizure

The House of Representatives based in Benghazi, which aligns with Khalifa Haftar’s eastern administration, sent a formal letter to Spain’s foreign ministry. The letter praised historic ties but accused the Spanish ambassador of failing to engage professionally with eastern Libyan institutions. It urged Madrid to review the ambassador’s performance and threatened to cut ties if no improvement is seen.

The committee said the ambassador’s diplomatic approach is unclear and that he does not meet professional standards when dealing with the parliament and other state bodies in the east. The parliament explicitly warned it may suspend diplomatic ties with Spain if the ambassador’s performance does not improve. Separately, Spanish authorities announced the seizure of over 30 tons of cocaine aboard a vessel that was reportedly heading toward eastern Libya, a seizure made one week before the diplomatic threat was issued.

The warning reflects growing frustration in eastern Libya over perceived diplomatic neglect, which could complicate joint efforts on migration, security, and economic cooperation. The cocaine seizure highlights the region’s role as a transit point for narcotics, raising stakes for both Libyan and Spanish law‑enforcement agencies. If ties are suspended, cooperation on border control and intelligence sharing could suffer, potentially affecting efforts to curb drug trafficking and irregular migration. Observers will watch whether Spain responds with a concrete plan to address the ambassador’s conduct and whether the eastern Libyan parliament follows through on its suspension threat.