Spain Must Accept Self-Determination for Gibraltar

I urge the Spanish government to drop its claims to Gibraltar, the British possession on its southern coast.  North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies Spain and the United Kingdom are currently involved in a row over the strategic territory.

Gibraltar has been in British hands since 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, and was legally transferred to England by the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713.  The Gibraltarians have strongly registered their intent to remain British in two referenda, most recently in 2002, and have not indicated any recent change of their minds.

I had posted in March of this year in support of the self-determination of the residents of the Falkland Islands to remain British instead of becoming part of Argentina (See my post, Falklanders Vote Overwhelmingly to Remain British, http://williamcinfici.blogspot.com/2013/03/falklanders-vote-overwhelmingly-to.html).  My consistency is in regard to popular sovereignty, it must be noted, is not necessarily because of any pro-British bias.  In fact, I would support Scottish independence from the U.K. based upon this principle.  Indeed, I am concerned that the Kingdom of Spain is undermining its own claims to its possessions in North Africa, such as Ceuta and Melilla against Morocco, which it ought not to relinquish.  I note Spain seems to be conceding the inevitability of the independence of Catalonia.  

I oppose imperialism and aggression – for the very reason that they violate self-determination – but whether the issue is territories that had been unclaimed and that were then claimed and occupied peacefully, or lands taken long ago in war and transferred by peace treaty.  If we accept the principle of popular sovereignty, then we must accept the will of the people, especially when it is expressed by the great majority of the people, regardless of whether or not we agree.