Catalan Officials Meet to Plan Independence

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

On Monday, Catalan officials met in Barcelona. Referendum results showed 90% of the autonomous region's residents support independence from fascist Spain.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont chaired a Monday cabinet meeting. He's expected to ask regional parliamentarians to vote on an independence declaration within days, calling Sunday's vote valid, binding, and had to be applied, adding:

"My government in the next few days will send the results of the vote to the Catalan parliament, where the sovereignty of our people lies, so that it can act in accordance with the law of the referendum."

EU officials can no longer "continue to look the other way." At the same time, Puigdemont called for international mediation to help resolve a standoff with Madrid, saying "(w)e don't want a traumatic break…We want a new understanding with the Spanish state."

Catalan trade unions and associations called a region-wide strike for Tuesday, protesting Madrid's "grave violation of rights and freedoms."

In Madrid, PM Mariano Roy is meeting with ruling People's Party officials, discussing how to confront Catalonian independence if declared as expected.

Spain's El Pais broadsheet blamed Catalan officials for Sunday's "shameful" events, Madrid bears full responsibility for. It also blamed Rajoy's regime for failing to prevent the independence referendum from taking place - calling Sunday "a defeat for our country."

In October 1940, Spanish dictator Francisco Franco executed Catalan President Lluis Companys for declaring independence years earlier.

Will Puigdemont be targeted the same way for supporting the will of his people, wanting independence from Madrid's fascist regime under Rajoy?

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