The Burgos City Council asks the Spanish government to resume the search for Juan José Mutilba at sea

The City Council of Burgos has urged the Spanish Government to push for the resumption of the search for Burgos businessman Juan José Mutilba, who disappeared at sea in Italy on the 18th after falling from his boat, and to join the search efforts with its own resources.

The city’s mayor, Cristina Ayala, has sent letters to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, and the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, requesting active involvement from the executive branch after Italian authorities decided to suspend the search this Thursday, following a week of unsuccessful efforts.

Juan José Mutilba, who was making a voyage between the coast of Sicily (Italy) and Pylos (Greece) accompanied by his wife, fell into the sea on Tuesday the 18th, according to the family, after allegedly slipping on the remains of a tuna he had just caught.

His wife remained adrift and without communication until last Friday, when she managed to contact a family associate who alerted the Spanish Maritime Rescue Agency. The Italian Coast Guard then launched an operation centered about 150 nautical miles off the Sicilian coast.

In a statement, the city council noted that the Italian decision to halt the search operations has generated “enormous concern” in the city, and especially in Mutilba’s family, who still hold out hope of finding him.

Ayala, who met with the family this Thursday, has asked the central government to intensify its diplomatic efforts to facilitate the resumption of the operation and to make all available resources and technical capabilities available to Rome to increase the chances of success.

In her letters to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, the councilor requests urgent reinforcement of contacts with the Italian government to ensure maximum bilateral coordination.

She also demands that Spain actively integrate into the operation by providing the necessary material and human resources.

Ayala acknowledged the complexity of the operation and the effort made by Italy, but emphasized that “the halt of the search makes Spain’s involvement more necessary than ever to try to reactivate the search and reinforce it with all means at its disposal.”

The City Council of Burgos will continue to monitor the development of the case and maintain direct contact with the businessman’s family, to whom the mayor has conveyed her full support and solidarity.