The thesis of the President of the Gran Canaria Cabildo, Antonio Morales, to veto the purchase of the 45% stake of Boluda TM in Las Palmas and Tenerife by the Moroccan state operator Marsa Maroc for 80 million euros has escalated. Morales has cited national security reasons to ask the central government for the anti-opas shield activated until December 2026. Up until now, concerns had centered on Marsa Maroc’s interests in Western Sahara concerning fishing and other derivatives from the use of sensitive information of Spain in the area; however, there are changes: Canarymaritime has been able to verify from official sources that Morocco, with OCP, the owner of the phosphate plants in Western Sahara, shipped a material to Colombia in December 2025 that is legal but falls into a gray area due to its risks.
National security
During the critical closing of the fiscal year in December 2025, the Port of Las Palmas has established itself as the logistical node for the transfer of 109.4 tons of diphosphorus pentoxide and phosphoric acid. The operation has been recorded under a pattern of deliberate fragmentation, dividing the cargo into two identical shipments of 54.7 tons. This volume, while manageable, represents an industrial supply of high purity that departs from the chemical hub of Casablanca destined for Cartagena de Indias, taking advantage of the transit benefits of the Canary port of Las Palmas to keep a low profile.
Gray area
The arrival of 109.4 tons in Cartagena de Indias under a fragmentation scheme in Las Palmas aligns with the logistical tactics used to move precursors without activating the automatic protocols of drug agencies (such as the DEA or DIRAN). Phosphoric acid is an essential chemical reagent in the final stages of cocaine hydrochloride production for the following reasons: pH adjustment and precipitation, a viable technical alternative that often raises fewer suspicions in customs checks and serves as a purifying agent because it helps remove impurities and solvent residues, improving the appearance and final quality of the narcotic.
Battlefield
Diphosphorus pentoxide is an extremely powerful dehydrating agent and the basis for producing high-concentration phosphoric acid. In the Colombian context, these compounds are vital for the large industry: they act as essential nutrients in fertilizers for export sectors such as coffee and sugar cane, and are key components in metallurgy and mining for surface treatment and flotation processes.
Its importance lies in the fact that they are not merely raw materials, but catalysts for the productivity of the country’s most sensitive sectors. The nature of these chemicals places them in the so-called ‘gray zone’ of international trade due to their dual-use. This means that while they have legitimate and necessary civil and agricultural applications, they can also serve as chemical precursors in complex industrial processes that require strict traceability.
Strict controls, they say
The gray area appears when oversight is weak; the fragmentation of cargo into identical shipments and the use of intermediate ports such as Las Palmas can dilute alerts from control systems, allowing the goods to move with an agility that standard security protocols for sensitive substances usually restrict. The transit through the Canary Islands is not a matter of geography, but of administrative design. By declaring the cargo under a transit regime, a documentary ‘disconnection’ is allowed between the Moroccan giant OCP Group and the final receiver in Cartagena. This strategy ensures that the flow of these phosphorus derivatives—strategic for the industrial stability of Colombia—maintains a low profile, minimizing political exposure and ensuring that the supply reaches its destination without the disruptions that large chemical shipments usually suffer on direct transatlantic routes.
Venezuela?
Diphosphorus pentoxide is a highly vigorous dehydrating agent. In the military realm, phosphorus derivatives are the basis for manufacturing smoke munitions. When reacting with humidity in the air, they create dense white clouds of phosphoric acid used to obscure troop movements or mark targets on the battlefield. The shipment was made in December 2025, and in January 2026, there have been geopolitical tensions between Colombia and the U.S. due to the assault on the end of the Chavista era in Venezuela. It is used to prevent corrosion in artillery and light weapons parts, prepare surfaces of armored vehicles before painting, and ensure the durability of equipment exposed to extreme environmental conditions.
These substances are found in the ‘gray zone’ because they are precursors in the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds. Some of the most dangerous nerve agents (such as Sarin or VX) are chemical derivatives that share the phosphorus base. While commercial phosphoric acid has legitimate civil uses, its diversion or advanced processing is monitored by international treaties to prevent the creation of chemical weapons.
News written by Gara Vega. Edited and verified by Pedro Marrero. Information cross-checked without institutional filters. This analysis has not been financed by official advertising nor conditioned by lobby interests.
