A shooting registered on Saturday in broad daylight in the Marina de Port neighborhood of Barcelona has reopened the debate on access to firearms and bladed weapons in the city and throughout Catalonia. The episode also comes at a time when former security officials and crime specialists place Barcelona within broader criminal circuits, linked to both youth gangs and drug trafficking.
Tension arises from the contrast between this demand for control and the ease of access described by sources. Quim Forn, former Minister of the Interior, warns that if firearms are already easy to obtain, the problem is aggravated even more with knives, while Amadeu Recasens maintains that some bladed weapons should not even be sold at gas stations.
Recasens Places Barcelona on European Drug Routes
Amadeu Recasens, former Security Commissioner, links part of the criminal pressure to the logistical position of the Catalan capital. In his opinion, Barcelona has infrastructures that make it an attractive point for drug trafficking networks due to the combination of the airport, the port, and the AP-7.
"Barcelona has a large airport, the port, and the AP-7. These are conditions for it to act as a drug hub, but it is not an exception, it is happening all over Europe" - Amadeu Recasens, former Security Commissioner
Recasens also calls for separating phenomena that often appear mixed in public debate. He distinguishes between youth gangs, local drug trafficking, and large criminal organizations, and rejects applying the same solution to different realities.
"They should not be able to be sold at gas stations" - Amadeu Recasens, former Security Commissioner
Forn and Neus Sala Warn of a Rapid Jump from Knives to Pistols
Quim Forn proposes strengthening control over weapon availability. The former Minister of the Interior maintains that the discussion cannot be limited to Barcelona because the phenomenon affects all of Catalonia and requires coordinated action from administrations.
"There must be control over this. If firearms are currently easy to acquire, let's imagine knives" - Quim Forn, former Minister of the Interior
Neus Sala, an investigative journalist, describes a change in violence among youth gangs. She explains that fights have in many cases moved beyond fistfights and that the step towards the use of weapons is now much faster.
"Before, gangs fought with fists, now they quickly go from knives to guns" - Neus Sala, investigative journalist
The journalist adds that the debate also extends to the applicable criminal framework for minors. In her analysis, legislation should be reviewed to address serious crimes committed by adolescents with bladed weapons.
Neus Sala maintains that there are minors aged 14 and 16 who kill with bladed weapons and know what they are doing, adding that the sense of impunity is very great among some of these perpetrators.
Forn, for his part, argues that the guarantee of citizen security requires global and coordinated responses. Recasens summarizes this same idea with a specific warning, asking that simple answers not be given to complex problems.