THOUSANDS of people are expected to turn out late for a rally in support for missing Gabriel Cruz Ramirez.
The march is expected to depart at 12pm from Puerta Purchena today (Friday), and Gabriel’s family has confirmed the move will only “give even more strength to the search.”
City Council President Ramon Fernandez-Pacheco has also reportedly allowed all Provincial and City Council workers to have time off in order to attend the march in support of the child’s family.
In a story that has gripped the entire nation, eight-year-old Gabriel Cruz Ramirez was last seen on February 27 in the town of Las Hortichuelas, Nijar.
He left his grandmother’s house in the small town at approximately 3.30pm and was heading towards her neighbour’s house to play, just a 100-metre walk away, when he disappeared.
When he did not arrive at his destination, Gabriel was reported missing at approximately 8pm, according to reports.
Posters and pictures were quickly shared around social media informing people that the eight-year-old was wearing black Adidas trousers with a white stripe and a red hooded jacket when he left the house.
Thousands of people, including Guardia Civil and police officers, forensic officers, underwater officers, dog units, emergency services personnel and volunteers, have been involved in the search since Gabriel went missing.
And yesterday (Thursday), Gabriel’s Mother’s former school, IES Nicolas Salmeron, showed their support for Gabriel where they displayed a banner which had the slogan ‘We are all Gabriel’ brazen across it.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, President of the Junta de Andalucia regional government Susana Diaz and Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido have all sent messages of support to the family while a petition set up to involve the army in the search has reached more than 97,000 signatures.
The biggest breakthrough in the search came on Saturday, when a t-shirt, bearing his DNA, was found.
It was discovered by his father, Angel Cruz, and his girlfriend close to the Barranco Las Aguilas sewage treatment plant several kilometres away from where Gabriel went missing.
But as of yet, it seems that officials are no closer to finding the boy, with sources close to the investigation telling Spanish media: “We are in the phase of analysing everything, because we are aware that we are running out of time.”
Anyone with any information related to the case is advised to contact the Guardia Civil directly on 642 650 775 or 649 952 957.
