Two Spanish citizens remain in one of Africa’s most notorious prisons as their families demand 180000 euros from Spain’s Foreign Ministry, accusing it of failing to protect their rights or secure their release. Filed in late May, the claim calculates the daily harm suffered by Javier Marañón Montero and David Rodríguez Ballesta since their arrest in January 2025 and threatens legal action if Madrid does not respond.
Both men, employees of the Spanish company Wayang Teknica, have been held in Black Beach prison in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, after authorities accused their employer of unpaid debts linked to a digital television contract. Their relatives describe the detention as a political hostage situation, saying the men are being used as bargaining chips in a wider diplomatic standoff between Madrid and the regime of Teodoro Obiang.
Despite repeated meetings with Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Consular Affairs chief Carolina de Manueles, the families say official efforts have fallen short. The Ministry insists the welfare of the detainees is a priority, citing 25 consular visits and regular contact, along with deliveries of food and medicine. Still, the men face harsh conditions: officials have denied them access to lawyers and outside doctors, while contact with their families in Spain remains restricted.
Health concerns are growing. Rodríguez, a 45-year-old technician from Granada, has lost 26 kilos and suffers from hypertension and severe headaches. Marañón, a 51-year-old accountant from Córdoba, has contracted malaria and filaria. He also suffers from asthma and heart problems and attempted suicide in late 2025. Prison authorities have refused to transfer him to a hospital, despite medical recommendations.
The families’ legal claim argues that Spain’s diplomatic and consular interventions have failed to end what they call an illegal deprivation of liberty. They point to the broader political context: the withdrawal of the Guinean ambassador from Madrid and the ongoing Spanish judicial case against Carmelo Ovono Obiang, son of the dictator, over the kidnapping and torture of opposition figures in Spain. The relatives believe the two workers are being held as use in this dispute.
Inside Black Beach, conditions are dire. The men share overcrowded cells with common criminals and lack access to potable water and adequate food. They are also barred from making phone calls or receiving legal documents. Prison rules have blocked their request to make a will. Attempts by Spanish NGOs to visit or deliver medicine have been stopped at the prison gates.
In a written response, the Foreign Ministry says it is doing everything possible, but the families are unconvinced. They accuse officials of failing to act at the United Nations and applying too little bilateral pressure. They also say officials have not engaged the company to resolve the alleged extortion. The legal claim notes that the men’s pretrial detention has already tripled the legal maximum, with no diplomatic breakthrough.
As reported in a previous investigation, Spain faces diplomatic challenges abroad beyond this case. The Black Beach detentions show the limits of Madrid’s use when citizens are caught in international disputes.
Spain’s consular protection obligations are under scrutiny. The case highlights the vulnerability of Spanish nationals working in high-risk environments, especially where local justice is subordinate to political interests. The government’s cautious approach may reflect the complexity of dealing with authoritarian regimes, but for the families, the lack of progress is intolerable. The demand for compensation goes beyond money: it directly criticizes Spain’s ability to defend its citizens when diplomacy fails. If Madrid cannot secure the release of two workers after months of negotiations and mounting health risks, it raises questions about the real power of Spanish passports in hostile jurisdictions.
