International opinion urges Spain to negotiate with Catalonia

During the last few days a several international newspapers, like the New York Times and the Irish Times have published editorials and articles urging the Spanish Government to allow the referendum and to negotiate with Catalonia to find a solution. Both blame the Spanish Government for the current situation and warn that this course of action could bring unstability down the road. This has dealt a massive blow to the Spanish Government position and their assumption that nobody cared about Catalonia and that even if they did they’d always side with the Spanish Government no matter what.

It was not long ago that the internatinal opinion routinely portrayed Catalonia as an unreasonable and selfish region, etc. But years of peaceful protests, political momentum and an intense work of internationalisation have slowly changed that. This will be very positive when the inevitable Declaration of Independence takes place after the referendum.

But nothing has changed on the surface. The day before yesterday in Catalonia the Guardia Civil police brought in for questioning several civil servants who are working on the catalan expats census without even a court order, only to release them immediately. This is part of the fear and repression strategy that Spain has embarked upon. They believe the referendum can be stopped by coercing anyone involved in its organisation.

Later that day in Madrid the Spanish King gave an award to Rodolfo Martín Villa, a former Minister during Franco’s dictatorship who has an international warrant for arrest for crimes against humanity by the Argentinian justice, who are investigating some of Franco’s dictatorships crimes.

On the other hand, yesterday, the polar oposite image came from the Catalan Parliament. 63961 political court sentences from Franco’s dictatorship between 1938 and 1978 were nullified. Effectively abolishing any trace of legitimacy of Franco’s regime in Catalonia.

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