The City Council Plenary approves the dedication of a public space in the city to the Spanish Legion.

The Consistory highlights the service vocation of this military force, both in crisis situations within Spain and in international peacekeeping missions.

The Estepona City Council has approved in the Plenary corresponding to the month of April to designate a public space in the city with the name of the Spanish Legion. This recognizes the work of this elite military force of the Spanish Army both in international stabilization missions in conflict zones and in helping in crisis situations within our country.

The approved proposal states that since its creation in 1920 by Royal Decree signed by King Alfonso XIII, “over more than a century of existence, the Spanish Legion has stood out for its discipline, fighting spirit and rapid deployment capacity in conflicts and international missions. It was created as a unit of Spanish and foreign volunteers and, over the course of its history, it has been professionalized to the point of being considered worldwide as one of the most prestigious units”.

The Spanish Legion was also the first unit to be employed by Spain in operations abroad under the flag of the United Nations, and has specialized in stabilization missions in crisis areas.

Since the beginning of the deployment of Spanish forces abroad in 1989, the Legion has been a corps of special relevance, becoming, at present, a reference in innovation of techniques, tactics and procedures, with a high degree of efficiency and modernity. The Legion opened in 1992 the mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina and, subsequently, missions in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Iraq, Congo and Lebanon, also participating in Afghanistan and Mali, underlines the municipal proposal.

It also emphasizes its projection capacity to deploy and operate in distant scenarios for long periods of time; as well as to employ means and adopt procedures to act in all types of crises and conflicts, which has turned the Spanish Legion into one of the military corps closest to the people. “We saw them carrying out an extraordinary aid work in the hardest moments of the pandemic caused by the Covid-19; and more recently, in the works after the devastating effects of the Dana in Valencia”.

The link of the Legion with the province of Malaga and the region of the Costa del Sol “is well known by all through its participation in various Easter processions, and also in sporting events of great national and international projection as the 101 kilometers of Ronda, a test in which a good number of athletes from Estepona participate each year.”

The City Council of Estepona has been recognizing the work performed by the various bodies and security forces of the State to protect the legality, freedom and the democratic rule of law. National Police and Civil Guard, and also Local Police and Civil Protection, have been supported by the Corporation for their public service and their contribution to the progress of the city. Now, this tribute is also paid to the Spanish Legion Corps for their spirit of dedication and vocation of service.