12th September 1949
The nationalisation of the Suez Canal had brought mixed feelings in Madrid. On the one hand, it undermined a key advisary of Spain, the UK, and overall disemboldened Spain's enemies through socialist measures. However, Spanish ships frequently passed through it in order to trade goods and arms with Japan and other socialist nations in the East. Spain did not want that trade disrupted. The Spanish war cabinet had met and Spain released a statement to the international community.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SPANISH SOCIALIST REPUBLIC
Spain welcomes the nationalisation of the Suez Canal and wishes to end capitalist imperialists' intervention in the economics of other nations. Spain will also increase patrols of the Gibraltar Strait and impound any vessel which it suspects will deliver soldiers or military ordnance to an invasion or preparation for an invasion of Egypt. However, no blockade has been reimposed and civilian and merchant ships can still pass freely. Spain also requests that the Egyptian government still allows the free flow of international shipping through the Suez Canal, or our support for the Egyptians will cease.