Disputed status of Gibraltar

 British Prime Minister Theresa May was headed back to Brussels on Saturday to defend the planned Brexit divorce deal even as Spain threatened to boycott an EU summit meant to endorse it, reported AFP.

He pointed out that he would do so if Spain's direct role in negotiating the future of Gibraltar is not recognized.

The government of Gibraltar warned that it could deprive the rights and protection of Spanish and other European citizens on the territory if Madrid were to use its veto and exclude Gibraltar from the Brexit agreement, the Guardian said.

Gibraltar will not be a victim of Brexit and has had guarantees from the British government it will not do a trade deal with the European Union which doesn't include the territory, its chief minister said on Sunday cited by Reuters. 

Spain is likely to wield a veto over any Brexit deal for Gibraltar after the EU-27 backed Madrid in its draft negotiating guidelines for forthcoming divorce talks between the UK and the bloc.
Gibraltar is a disputed territory, which Britain has held for centuries. For the UK, any Brexit deal would automatically apply to Gibraltar, since it claims it as British territory.