MADRID (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people from Spain’s Basque Country joined hands to form a human chain running some 202 kilometers (125 miles) on Sunday to call for the right to hold a regional independence vote.
Spain’s Constitution, created in 1978 after the end of dictator Francisco Franco’s regime, states that the country is indivisible and last-year’s attempt by Catalonia to hold a secession referendum was met with a harsh legal crackdown.
Former Prime Minister with the conservative People’s Party (PP) Mariano Rajoy, who has been roundly criticized for his handling of the Catalan crisis, was ousted by Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez in a no confidence vote June 1.
Sanchez, who now heads the government following the vote, has called for renewed talks with the Catalan leadership.
While most from the Basque Country, which already has a high level of self-determination and, like Catalonia, has its own language and culture, do not support independence, many believe the population should be given the right to vote.
The human-chain protest was organized by Basque group Gure Esku Dago (In Our Own Hands) and ran from Donostia (also known as San Sebastian) to the Basque parliament in Gasteiz (Vitoria).
The Spanish government, backed by the constitutional court, maintains that any ballot on regional independence is illegal.
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Friday, June 1, 2018
Mariano Rajoy: Spanish PM forced out of office
BBC - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been forced out of office by a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez, who filed the motion after Mr Rajoy's party was implicated in a corruption scandal, will become prime minister.
"We're going to sign a new page in the history of democracy in our country," Mr Sánchez said ahead of Friday's vote.
Mr Rajoy is the first prime minister in modern Spanish history to be defeated in a no-confidence motion.
The leader of the conservative Popular Party (PP) has been prime minister since 2011.
During the second day of debate on Friday, Mr Rajoy admitted facing defeat and told MPs that it has been "an honour to leave a better Spain than I found".
Mr Sánchez secured a majority in the vote after gaining support from various smaller parties, including the Basque Nationalist Party - 180 MPs backed the motion, 169 voted against, with one abstention. ContinueReading
Saturday, May 5, 2018
ETA Formally Ends Armed Fight, but Spain Vows to Prosecute
MADRID (AP) — Basque separatist group ETA publicly declared its dissolution Thursday, bringing an end to a campaign against Spain that saw more than 850 people killed over more than four decades of bombings and shootings.
In an open letter to the Basque people, ETA said it has "completely dismantled all of its structures" and "will no longer express political positions, promote initiatives or interact with other stakeholders."
Its announcement was dismissed as propaganda by victims' groups, while the Spanish government said it would continue to prosecute anyone with any links to any of the violence conducted during the ETA campaign, which blighted Spain's transition to democracy from the late 1970s onwards.
ETA formally announced its dissolution in a letter read out at the headquarters of a conflict resolution group in Geneva. That came a day after the group's intentions were known in a separate leaked letter that had been sent in April to the Basque regional government, workers' unions and others.
David Harland, the executive director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which has been involved in peace negotiations between ETA and the Spanish government dating back to 2004, told The Associated Press that Thursday's announcement was a "unilateral" move by the group.
Basque-language website naiz.eus also published audio with the voices of two well-known ETA members, Josu Urrutikoetxea — also known as Josu Ternera — and Marixol Iparragirre, reading the letter's content.
In response, the Spanish government vowed to continue prosecuting the organization's militants who had sought to create a new Basque homeland in northern Spain and southern France.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stuck to his government's hard line and called ETA's disbanding "noise and propaganda."
"Whatever ETA does or says, it won't find any loophole for impunity," Rajoy said. "ETA can announce its disappearance, but its crimes or the action of the judiciary won't disappear."
ETA, which stands for "Basque Homeland and Freedom" in the Basque language and was born in 1958, carried out bombings, shootings and kidnappings, most of them after Spain transitioned to democracy from the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco after his death in 1975.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Spanish court charges Catalan leaders with rebellion
politico.eu - Spain’s Supreme Court said on Friday it will try 13 Catalan independence leaders on charges of rebellion, including ousted regional President Carles Puigdemont and his top aides and allies.
A judge later ordered that four of them should be jailed without bail.
Judge Pablo Llarena’s decision to bring formal charges means the secessionist leaders face potential jail terms of 25-30 years. It also complicates the Catalan parliament’s attempts to replace Puigdemont, who is in exile in Belgium to avoid being jailed over last year’s attempt to declare independence from Spain.
In total, Supreme Court Judge Pablo Llarena indicted 25 former officials and pro-independence leaders on charges including misuse of public funds and disobedience. He also ordered the main group to pay back €2.1 million to cover the cost of last year’s referendum, which Madrid declared illegal, and court costs.
The judge later said Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Raül Romeva, Dolors Bassa, Carme Forcadell should be placed in pre-trial detention.
The 13 former officials indicted with the most serious charge — rebellion — include Puigdemont; his jailed former deputy Orio Junqueras; the former speaker of the Catalan parliament Carme Forcadell; and two men proposed by the independence movement to replace Puigdemont: Jordi Sànchez of the grassroots Catalan National Assembly (ANC), whose candidacy was blocked because he is in jail; and Turull, who failed to secure the post at a first attempt in the regional parliament on Thursday. ContinueReading
Monday, November 6, 2017
Catalan leader fuelling Belgian tensions: Spanish MEP
expatica.com - A Spanish member of the European Parliament said Monday that the sacked Catalan president, who is in Belgium awaiting possible extradition to Spain, was being used to fuel tensions between French- and Flemish-speakers.
In a series of statements and tweets since Sunday, Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Spain's ruling Popular Party, also denounced Belgium's interior minister for accusing Madrid of mismanaging the secessionist crisis.
"There is no conflict between Belgium and Spain but there is an internal conflict between Belgians, between Flanders and Wallonia," he told Spanish television, referring to the Dutch-speaking northern and French-speaking southern regions.
Sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont's arrival in Belgium last week has caused problems for the government led by Prime Minister Charles Michel, who rules in a coalition with Flemish separatists sympathetic to the region's independence cause.
On Sunday, Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon, a member of nationalist party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), questioned why the EU had not denounced Spain's detention of Catalan leaders.
A Spanish judge on Thursday ordered eight members of Catalonia's deposed government put into custody pending an inquiry into their push to break the region away from Spain.
Puigdemont and four sacked ministers will appear in court on November 17 as Belgium considers a Spanish request for their extradition.
"The Flemish are pro-independence and want the Catalan process to succeed," Gonzalez Pons said.
He accused Jambon of belonging to a "party that collaborated with the German occupation in World War II, a xenophobic party that is an unsavoury ally for anyone."
Jambon stirred outrage in 2014 by suggesting that Flemish groups who collaborated with the Nazis "had their reasons".
Puigdemont acknowledged last week that he had gone to Belgium partly to take the Catalan issue to the heart of the European Union, which has backed Madrid during the crisis.
In a series of statements and tweets since Sunday, Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Spain's ruling Popular Party, also denounced Belgium's interior minister for accusing Madrid of mismanaging the secessionist crisis.
"There is no conflict between Belgium and Spain but there is an internal conflict between Belgians, between Flanders and Wallonia," he told Spanish television, referring to the Dutch-speaking northern and French-speaking southern regions.
Sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont's arrival in Belgium last week has caused problems for the government led by Prime Minister Charles Michel, who rules in a coalition with Flemish separatists sympathetic to the region's independence cause.
On Sunday, Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon, a member of nationalist party New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), questioned why the EU had not denounced Spain's detention of Catalan leaders.
A Spanish judge on Thursday ordered eight members of Catalonia's deposed government put into custody pending an inquiry into their push to break the region away from Spain.
Puigdemont and four sacked ministers will appear in court on November 17 as Belgium considers a Spanish request for their extradition.
"The Flemish are pro-independence and want the Catalan process to succeed," Gonzalez Pons said.
He accused Jambon of belonging to a "party that collaborated with the German occupation in World War II, a xenophobic party that is an unsavoury ally for anyone."
Jambon stirred outrage in 2014 by suggesting that Flemish groups who collaborated with the Nazis "had their reasons".
Puigdemont acknowledged last week that he had gone to Belgium partly to take the Catalan issue to the heart of the European Union, which has backed Madrid during the crisis.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Failed Spain to impose direct rule over Catalonia after region declares independence
washingtonpost.com - BARCELONA — The Spanish Senate gave the central government in Madrid unprecedented powers over Catalonia on Friday, just minutes after the breakaway region declared independence, sharply escalating a constitutional crisis in the center of western Europe.
The two votes — one for independence, one to restore constitutional rule — came in dueling sessions of parliaments in Barcelona and Madrid.
The central government easily won permission to take over control of Catalonia. Meanwhile, secessionists in Catalonia faced bitter recriminations from Catalan foes who called the move for nationhood a coup and a historical blunder, a month after a referendum that backed a split from Spain.
The widening impasse has left little middle ground in Spain for possible compromises and has spilled over to the European Union, whose leaders fearanother internal crisis after major upheavals such as Britain’s exit from the bloc and the financial meltdown in Greece.
Immediately after the vote for independence, European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted: “For EU nothing changes. Spain remains our only interlocutor. I hope the Spanish government favours force of argument, not argument of force.”
Tusk’s remark mirrors fears in Catalonia that the Spanish government will employ police and harsh tactics to take back control of the region.
After the day’s votes, the State Department made clear where Washington stands: “Catalonia is an integral part of Spain, and the United States supports the Spanish government’s constitutional measures to keep Spain strong and united.”
What happens now is unclear, though the newly declared republic will struggle to assert itself. Spain’s Constitutional Court will almost certainly declare it illegal, the central government will try to take over the Catalan regional ministries, and few countries in Europe have shown any willingness so far to recognize an independent Catalonia.
The final ballot was 70 to 10 in favor of the declaration of independence in the Catalan Parliament, where 55 deputies declined to vote, showing the deep divisions.
“We have won the freedom to build a new country,” Catalonia’s regional vice president, Oriol Junqueras, tweeted.
Encarna Buitrago was with her friends in a flag-waving crowd in front of the parliament in Barcelona when independence was declared. Many began to weep at the news. (ontinueReading
The two votes — one for independence, one to restore constitutional rule — came in dueling sessions of parliaments in Barcelona and Madrid.
The central government easily won permission to take over control of Catalonia. Meanwhile, secessionists in Catalonia faced bitter recriminations from Catalan foes who called the move for nationhood a coup and a historical blunder, a month after a referendum that backed a split from Spain.
The widening impasse has left little middle ground in Spain for possible compromises and has spilled over to the European Union, whose leaders fearanother internal crisis after major upheavals such as Britain’s exit from the bloc and the financial meltdown in Greece.
Immediately after the vote for independence, European Council President Donald Tusk tweeted: “For EU nothing changes. Spain remains our only interlocutor. I hope the Spanish government favours force of argument, not argument of force.”
Tusk’s remark mirrors fears in Catalonia that the Spanish government will employ police and harsh tactics to take back control of the region.
After the day’s votes, the State Department made clear where Washington stands: “Catalonia is an integral part of Spain, and the United States supports the Spanish government’s constitutional measures to keep Spain strong and united.”
What happens now is unclear, though the newly declared republic will struggle to assert itself. Spain’s Constitutional Court will almost certainly declare it illegal, the central government will try to take over the Catalan regional ministries, and few countries in Europe have shown any willingness so far to recognize an independent Catalonia.
The final ballot was 70 to 10 in favor of the declaration of independence in the Catalan Parliament, where 55 deputies declined to vote, showing the deep divisions.
“We have won the freedom to build a new country,” Catalonia’s regional vice president, Oriol Junqueras, tweeted.
Encarna Buitrago was with her friends in a flag-waving crowd in front of the parliament in Barcelona when independence was declared. Many began to weep at the news. (ontinueReading
Friday, October 20, 2017
Spain plans new elections in Catalonia to end independence bid: opposition
MADRID (Reuters) - The Spanish government has secured opposition support for dissolving Catalonia’s parliament and holding new elections there in January in its bid to check the regional government’s push for independence.
The Socialists, the main opposition, said on Friday they would back special measures to impose central rule on the region to thwart the secessionist-minded Catalan government and end a crisis that has unsettled the euro and hurt confidence in the euro zone’s fourth-largest economy.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who wants opposition support to be able to present a united front in the crisis, has called an emergency cabinet meeting on Saturday to pave the way for Madrid establishing central control in the region.
The government would not confirm whether January elections formed a part of the package, with Rajoy saying only that the measures would be announced on Saturday.
However a government spokesman saw regional elections as likely. “The logical end to this process would be new elections established within the law,” said government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo at a weekly government press conference.
It will be the first time in Spain’s four decades of democracy that Madrid has invoked the constitution to effectively sack a regional government and call new elections.
Head of state King Felipe used a prizegiving ceremony in the northwestern region of Asturias to indicate support for the government and affirm the unity of Spain, of which he said “Catalonia is and will remain an essential part.”
“Spain needs to face up to an unacceptable secession attempt on its national territory, which it will resolve through its legitimate democratic institutions,” said the monarch, a ceremonial figure who sharply criticized Catalan leaders earlier this month.
Rajoy wants as broad a consensus as possible before taking the step, which has raised the prospect of more large-scale protests in Catalonia, where pro-independence groups have been able to bring more than one million people out onto the streets.
Regional authorities said around 90 percent voted for independence though only 43 percent of voters participated. Opponents of secession mostly stayed home. (ontinueReading
Further Reading: Spain, Bolivia, Iraq, and the Fallacy of Nation-Sate
Monday, October 16, 2017
Spain gives Catalonia final ultimatum and moves closer to 'nuclear option'
DRAMA BOMB!
cnbc.com - The Spanish government has given Catalonia three days to declare whether it will try to break away from Spain or not, moving ever closer towards imposing direct rule on the northeastern region.
Madrid had given a deadline of 9:00 a.m. London time Monday for an official response from Catalonia, hoping to receive a clearer indication on whether it had declared independence or not.
However, when a letter arrived from Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont just two hours before the deadline, it failed to offer any confirmation either way.
Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría told a news conference later on Monday that Puigdemont had not made his position clear and the government would give him until Thursday morning to give a formal confirmation.
"It's not a hard question we have asked, it's not a hard question to respond to," she said.
"10:00 a.m. (local time) on Thursday is the deadline," she added. "We are very disappointed he hasn't given a yes or no answer to the question we asked."
"He is prolonging the situation," she said.
Sáenz de Santamaría stated that Prime Minister Rajoy would also be publishing a response to Puigdemont's letter this morning.
Spain's Justice Minister Rafael Catala also added to the discussion on Monday morning, reportedly saying that the response from the Catalan leadership was not valid.
The initial letter from Catalonia early Monday reiterated an offer by Puigdemont to meet Rajoy as soon as possible to discuss the situation, and asked that dialogue take place over the next two months.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Catalonia to move to declare independence from Spain on Monday
MADRID/BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalonia will move on Monday October 9 to declare independence from Spain, a regional government source said, as the European Union nation nears a rupture that threatens the foundations of its young democracy and has unnerved financial markets.
Pro-independence parties which control the regional parliament have asked for a debate and vote on Monday on declaring independence, the source said. A declaration should follow this vote, although it is unclear when.
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont earlier told the BBC that his government would ask the region’s parliament to declare independence after tallying votes from last weekend’s referendum, which Madrid says was illegal.
“This will probably finish once we get all the votes in from abroad at the end of the week and therefore we shall probably act over the weekend or early next week,” he said in remarks published on Wednesday.
The constitutional crisis in Spain, the euro zone’s fourth-biggest economy, has shaken the common currency and hit Spanish stocks and bonds, sharply raising Madrid’s borrowing costs.
The Catalan leader is due to make a statement at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT) on Wednesday, after an all-party committee of the region’s parliament meets to agree a date -- likely to be Monday -- for a plenary session on independence.
Spain has been rocked by the Catalan vote and the Spanish police response to it, which saw batons and rubber bullets used to prevent people voting. Hundreds were injured, in scenes that brought international condemnation.
Catalans came out onto the streets on Tuesday to condemn the police action, shutting down road traffic, public transport and businesses, and ratcheting up fears of intensifying unrest in a region that makes up one-fifth of the Spanish economy. (ontinueReading
Friday, September 29, 2017
Catalonia on collision course as banned referendum nears
- Barcelona, Spain (CNN) Spanish and Catalan authorities appeared set on a collision course Friday ahead of a disputed independence referendum that has polarized the country.
Catalonia's separatist government is adamant it will go ahead with Sunday's referendum despite the country's highest court barring it as unconstitutional.
Spain's central government insists the referendum is illegal, must not go ahead and that the result will not be recognized. It has drafted in thousands of extra police to try to prevent the vote taking place.
In the run-up to the vote, Catalan officials have accused the Spanish authorities of trying to suppress the people's democratic rights.
Joan Maria Piqué, international communications director for the government of Catalonia, told CNN on Friday that 200,000 ballot papers had been confiscated this week -- on top of almost 10 million the Spanish government said it had seized on September 20, along with voter lists and other paperwork.
According to Piqué, 14 Catalan government officials have been arrested over the referendum and 150 websites suspended. Mobile phones have also been seized.
The Spanish Data Protection Agency said in a statement Friday that people working in the polling stations could be fined up to 300,000 euros ($354,000) for doing so.
Despite the government's warnings, Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull told reporters Friday that there would be 2,315 polling stations where people can vote, mostly inside schools. More than 5.3 million voters are on the electoral roll, according to the Catalan government.
Public support for the referendum within Catalonia, a wealthy region in Spain's northeast, has become increasingly vocal as the vote has neared. (ontinueReading
Catalonia's separatist government is adamant it will go ahead with Sunday's referendum despite the country's highest court barring it as unconstitutional.
Spain's central government insists the referendum is illegal, must not go ahead and that the result will not be recognized. It has drafted in thousands of extra police to try to prevent the vote taking place.
In the run-up to the vote, Catalan officials have accused the Spanish authorities of trying to suppress the people's democratic rights.
Joan Maria Piqué, international communications director for the government of Catalonia, told CNN on Friday that 200,000 ballot papers had been confiscated this week -- on top of almost 10 million the Spanish government said it had seized on September 20, along with voter lists and other paperwork.
According to Piqué, 14 Catalan government officials have been arrested over the referendum and 150 websites suspended. Mobile phones have also been seized.
The Spanish Data Protection Agency said in a statement Friday that people working in the polling stations could be fined up to 300,000 euros ($354,000) for doing so.
Despite the government's warnings, Catalan government spokesman Jordi Turull told reporters Friday that there would be 2,315 polling stations where people can vote, mostly inside schools. More than 5.3 million voters are on the electoral roll, according to the Catalan government.
Public support for the referendum within Catalonia, a wealthy region in Spain's northeast, has become increasingly vocal as the vote has neared. (ontinueReading
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Spain's Catalonia region sets independence vote for Oct. 1 2017 despite protest from Madrid
via foxnews.com - Spain’s prosperous Catalonia region has set the date for a vote for independence – despite anger coming out of the country’s capital city.
The region’s pro-independence ruling government managed to get enough votes to pass the referendum law amid a testy parliament session that lasted 11 hours and saw 52 opposition members walk out of the chamber in protest.
The support of 72 pro-independence lawmakers was enough to pass the measure, after the opposition members walked out before the voting started. Eleven lawmakers abstained from voting.
The vote for independence on Oct. 1, however, will face a tough test from the Spanish government by appealing to the country’s constitutional court, which has previously ruled that a referendum can only be called with the approval of central authorities.
Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont signed a decree officially calling for a “self-determination referendum of Catalonia." His entire cabinet, which includes politicians from various pro-independence parties, also approved the document to dilute responsibility is case of prosecution.
The referendum clashes with the Spanish Constitution, which only gives national authorities the right to call such a vote. But Catalonia's pro-independence lawmakers approved a bill earlier Wednesday that is meant to provide a legal justification for the independence vote.
“The concert of state and patriotic unities that go beyond the rights of citizens don’t have a place in today’s Europe,” Puigdemont said. "Catalonia belongs to this world that looks forward, and that's why it will decide its own future on the 1st of October."
Catalonia's renewed push for secession has opened one of Spain's deepest political and institutional crises of recent years. Although much of the blame has been put on the pro-independence bloc in the regional parliament, Rajoy's conservative government has been criticized for letting the situation get this far.
Puigdemont's government claims it has a democratic mandate to seek a binding independence referendum based on the universal right to self-determination. However, approval for the referendum law came after more than 11 hours of heated debate.
The parliamentary debate in Barcelona saw tensions flare when the regional body's top speaker, Carme Forcadell, announced that a vote on the bill would proceed before the legislation had undergone the customary legal vetting. The vote had not appeared on the day's agenda until the very last minute.
The Spanish government is trying to strike a delicate balance between offsetting the secessionist defiance and staying away from more dramatic measures that would further inflame anti-Spanish sentiments, such as suspending Catalonia's autonomous powers or declaring a state of emergency that would bring the army into the mix.
The Catalonia region centered on Barcelona generates a fifth of Spain's gross domestic product. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructures are in the hands of the Spanish government.
Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken in the region of 7.5 million people, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions.
The pro-independence bloc has argued that full control would benefit Catalonia, an idea that gained support in times of high unemployment and harsh austerity measures as a result of Spain's 2008-2013 financial crisis. (ontinueReading
The region’s pro-independence ruling government managed to get enough votes to pass the referendum law amid a testy parliament session that lasted 11 hours and saw 52 opposition members walk out of the chamber in protest.
The support of 72 pro-independence lawmakers was enough to pass the measure, after the opposition members walked out before the voting started. Eleven lawmakers abstained from voting.
The vote for independence on Oct. 1, however, will face a tough test from the Spanish government by appealing to the country’s constitutional court, which has previously ruled that a referendum can only be called with the approval of central authorities.
The referendum clashes with the Spanish Constitution, which only gives national authorities the right to call such a vote. But Catalonia's pro-independence lawmakers approved a bill earlier Wednesday that is meant to provide a legal justification for the independence vote.
“The concert of state and patriotic unities that go beyond the rights of citizens don’t have a place in today’s Europe,” Puigdemont said. "Catalonia belongs to this world that looks forward, and that's why it will decide its own future on the 1st of October."
Catalonia's renewed push for secession has opened one of Spain's deepest political and institutional crises of recent years. Although much of the blame has been put on the pro-independence bloc in the regional parliament, Rajoy's conservative government has been criticized for letting the situation get this far.
Puigdemont's government claims it has a democratic mandate to seek a binding independence referendum based on the universal right to self-determination. However, approval for the referendum law came after more than 11 hours of heated debate.
The parliamentary debate in Barcelona saw tensions flare when the regional body's top speaker, Carme Forcadell, announced that a vote on the bill would proceed before the legislation had undergone the customary legal vetting. The vote had not appeared on the day's agenda until the very last minute.
The Spanish government is trying to strike a delicate balance between offsetting the secessionist defiance and staying away from more dramatic measures that would further inflame anti-Spanish sentiments, such as suspending Catalonia's autonomous powers or declaring a state of emergency that would bring the army into the mix.
The Catalonia region centered on Barcelona generates a fifth of Spain's gross domestic product. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructures are in the hands of the Spanish government.
Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken in the region of 7.5 million people, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions.
The pro-independence bloc has argued that full control would benefit Catalonia, an idea that gained support in times of high unemployment and harsh austerity measures as a result of Spain's 2008-2013 financial crisis. (ontinueReading
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Barcelona: Van hits crowds in Ramblas tourist area
BBC - A van has ploughed into crowds in Barcelona's Las Ramblas tourist area.
Spanish police say several people have been injured in a "massive crash", while emergency services are urging people to stay away from the area around Plaça de Catalunya.
Reports from the scene say people are taking cover in nearby shops and cafes.
Reuters news agency reports that emergency services have requested the closure of local metro and train stations.
El Pais newspaper said the driver of the vehicle had fled on foot after mowing down dozens of people.
Steven Turner, who works in the area, told the BBC: "People in my office saw a van ramming into people on Las Ramblas.
"I saw about three or four people lying on the ground."
"There are lots of ambulances and armed police with assault rifles around now."
Details of this incident are still unclear, but vehicles have been used to ram into crowds in a series of attacks across Europe since July last year.
Aamer Anwar said he was walking down Las Ramblas, which was "jam-packed" with tourists.
"All of a sudden, I just sort of heard a crashing noise and the whole street just started to run, screaming. I saw a woman right next to me screaming for her kids," he told Sky News.
"Police were very, very quickly there, police officers with guns, batons, everywhere. Then the whole street started getting pushed back.
"Police officers who got there just started screaming at people to move back, move back." (ontinueReading
Spanish police say several people have been injured in a "massive crash", while emergency services are urging people to stay away from the area around Plaça de Catalunya.
Reports from the scene say people are taking cover in nearby shops and cafes.
Reuters news agency reports that emergency services have requested the closure of local metro and train stations.
El Pais newspaper said the driver of the vehicle had fled on foot after mowing down dozens of people.
Steven Turner, who works in the area, told the BBC: "People in my office saw a van ramming into people on Las Ramblas.
"I saw about three or four people lying on the ground."
"There are lots of ambulances and armed police with assault rifles around now."
Details of this incident are still unclear, but vehicles have been used to ram into crowds in a series of attacks across Europe since July last year.
Aamer Anwar said he was walking down Las Ramblas, which was "jam-packed" with tourists.
"All of a sudden, I just sort of heard a crashing noise and the whole street just started to run, screaming. I saw a woman right next to me screaming for her kids," he told Sky News.
"Police were very, very quickly there, police officers with guns, batons, everywhere. Then the whole street started getting pushed back.
"Police officers who got there just started screaming at people to move back, move back." (ontinueReading
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Strength in our diversity: Independence movements are a sign of European strength, not discord
WashingtonPost.com: LONDON — It was less than three years ago that Scotland's bid for independence fizzled, with a much-hyped referendum failing by 10 points and Scotland's pro-independence party left embarrassed.
But the drive for self-determination in Scotland is as strong as ever. On Tuesday, the Scottish parliament backed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's attempt to seek another independence vote. And, much to the dismay of officials in Madrid, Copenhagen, Brussels and other capitals, breakaway attempts in other countries are also alive and well.
To some, this is yet another indication that the European Union is falling apart and unable to keep the divided continent united. But in reality, Europe's powerful independence movements are a sign of European strength, not discord.
The three regions where independence votes are now most likely — Catalonia, Scotland and the Faroe Islands (which is not part of the E.U.) — are doing so in an attempt to assume a more active role on the international stage and in the European Union. All three regions argue that independence would put them in a better position to interact with the union, both economically and politically.
The Faroe Islands, a Danish-controlled autonomous territory in the North Atlantic, announced in February that it will vote on a new constitution next year, most likely paving the way for an independence referendum there.
On the Faroe Islands, pro-E.U. sentiments are mainly driven by economic considerations. Due to its dependency on the E.U. as a trading partner, the Faroe Islands wants to renegotiate relations with the bloc — something its association with the Kingdom of Denmark has so far largely prevented because the Faroe Islands do not handle their foreign affairs themselves.
Farther south, the region of Catalonia, home to Barcelona, has long sought independence from Spain. Its distinct traditions and language, Catalan, have driven such hopes for decades — but there is also a political rationale behind the desire to break away from Spain. Catalonia already has a foreign affairs commissioner, and its citizens are some of the E.U.'s most loyal supporters. As many as 200,000 people recently marched in Barcelona urging the Spanish government to accommodate more refugees and meet the E.U. criteria that are being virtually ignored by almost every member state.
Previous demonstrations in favor of independence deliberately included the word “Europe” in their slogans (“Catalonia, a new state in Europe”) and the current regional leader, Carles Puigdemont, is staunchly pro-European. Puigdemont and his political allies hope that independence from Spain would allow Catalonia, which has more inhabitants than Denmark, to finally influence European affairs without having to take a detour through Madrid.
In the case of Scotland, preserving E.U. membership is also one of the biggest driving forces behind the new independence campaign. Keeping E.U. membership was among the key reasons the Scottish voted against independence in 2014. Ahead of the vote, officials in London had warned that Scotland would also have to leave the E.U. if it decided to leave the United Kingdom.
That argument became void in June last year when Britain decided to leave the E.U., anyway. Scotland, however, voted against leaving the European Union by a margin of 24 percentage points, which political leaders there say proves that a new independence vote is needed.
Nor is it certain the E.U. would approve membership. Whereas Britain is leaving the union and would be unlikely to veto an application by Scotland, other countries might be more willing to take such measures. In 2014, Belgium and Spain said they would veto a Scottish membership application in an attempt to prevent other independence movements in Europe from gaining momentum.
Apart from such legal and political obstacles, there is also the question whether voters would even want their regions or nations to become fully independent. Recent opinion polls in Catalonia and Scotland do not show a clear majority.
Pro-independence activists, however, say that voters should at least have a chance to decide. They hope that support for separation might rise if the referendum plans themselves are being blocked by national authorities.
The Spanish government has already declared a possible referendum illegal and said it will not recognize the results, but popular support for such a referendum is still on the rise. Meanwhile, in Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated that another independence vote won't happen anytime soon — which may only stoke the desire for Scotland to go its own way. (Source)
Monday, December 12, 2016
11 women, one pregnant, caught with 1.6 lb of cocaine concealed in the vagina
The arrests took place two weeks ago, on Nov. 27, but Spanish police made it public on Monday.
The women, aged between 22 and 47, had arrived in Madrid on a flight from Medellín, Colombia, and carried the drug in a cylindrical container inserted in their body.
One of the women disclosed she was pregnant and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where the drug was removed safely.
Confidencial Colombia reported that five of the women were arrested at first, and a few hours later the other six. They all carried the drug in a similar fashion.
The story is reminiscent of the 2004 hit movie “Maria Full of Grace,” whose lead character – also pregnant- agrees to fly to the U.S. with 62 pellets of cocaine in her stomach. (FullText)
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Catalonia to Vote on Independence, With or Without Spain's Consent
(voiceofamerica) - Catalonia will hold a referendum on independence from Spain next year whether or not the central government in Madrid agrees to one, the region's head said Wednesday.
Carles Puigdemont told the Catalan parliament that he was willing to discuss the terms of a referendum with Madrid, which has steadfastly opposed any such vote in the northeastern region, but that otherwise he would hold one next September.
Spain's Constitutional Court in August annulled a resolution by Catalonia's assembly to press ahead with independence, sharpening the standoff between the separatists and the central government of the conservative People's Party (PP).
"There is an enormous consensus that the ideal formula is a referendum agreed with the Spanish state," Puigdemont told parliament.
He said he would discuss the wording of the question in a vote and its date.
"But if by July there has been no positive response [from the central government], we will be prepared to climb the last step and call a referendum for the second fortnight of September next year," he said.
Carles Puigdemont told the Catalan parliament that he was willing to discuss the terms of a referendum with Madrid, which has steadfastly opposed any such vote in the northeastern region, but that otherwise he would hold one next September.
Spain's Constitutional Court in August annulled a resolution by Catalonia's assembly to press ahead with independence, sharpening the standoff between the separatists and the central government of the conservative People's Party (PP).
"There is an enormous consensus that the ideal formula is a referendum agreed with the Spanish state," Puigdemont told parliament.
He said he would discuss the wording of the question in a vote and its date.
"But if by July there has been no positive response [from the central government], we will be prepared to climb the last step and call a referendum for the second fortnight of September next year," he said.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Catalans rally in support of independence from Spain
- Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Catalonia on Sunday to support a break from Spain which local leaders want to deliver for next year in spite of legal blocks by the central government.
Catalans gathered in five cities across the northeastern region, including Barcelona, and waved yellow banners in time to music, symbolizing the rhythm of a beating heart uniting an independent republic.
Police said that in Barcelona alone about 540,000 people took part. The mass rally on Catalonia's national day, La Diada, comes as the pro-independence local assembly vows to press ahead with plans to form an new state in 2017, raising pressure on leaders in Madrid to respond at a time of disarray in national politics.
Two inconclusive general elections have left Spain without a new national administration for more than eight months, in part due to squabbling among parties over how best to counter or defuse Catalonia's separatist challenge.
Spain's conservative caretaker government has firmly opposed any move towards secession and resorted to challenges via the constitutional court, though this has escalated the stand-off in recent months under acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
"We don't really care anymore about who will govern in Madrid," said Montse Pedra, 39, a speech therapist at the rally in Barcelona, where campaigners waved the starred blue, red and yellow pro-independence flags.
She said she was no longer hopeful Catalonia would be granted a referendum on independence like Scotland's in 2014 - where people voted to remain in Britain - but was looking beyond that.
"Here that's not going to happen one way or another, so we're going to just declare independence, and that's it," Pedra added.
Whether regional leaders will manage to produce the break they have promised is unclear.
Pro-separatist parties won a majority of seats in the regional assembly last year and have starting laying the ground for laws and institutions for an independent state, though such moves have been deemed illegal in court.
"The whole process is going a little slowly," said another participant, 64-year-old maths teacher Rafael Subirats, adding he thought independence was unlikely to happen by 2017.
Secessionists fell short of winning an overall majority of the vote last September, which according to anti-independence campaigners weakens the mandate for a split. (FullText)
Catalans gathered in five cities across the northeastern region, including Barcelona, and waved yellow banners in time to music, symbolizing the rhythm of a beating heart uniting an independent republic.
Police said that in Barcelona alone about 540,000 people took part. The mass rally on Catalonia's national day, La Diada, comes as the pro-independence local assembly vows to press ahead with plans to form an new state in 2017, raising pressure on leaders in Madrid to respond at a time of disarray in national politics.
Two inconclusive general elections have left Spain without a new national administration for more than eight months, in part due to squabbling among parties over how best to counter or defuse Catalonia's separatist challenge.
Spain's conservative caretaker government has firmly opposed any move towards secession and resorted to challenges via the constitutional court, though this has escalated the stand-off in recent months under acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.
"We don't really care anymore about who will govern in Madrid," said Montse Pedra, 39, a speech therapist at the rally in Barcelona, where campaigners waved the starred blue, red and yellow pro-independence flags.
She said she was no longer hopeful Catalonia would be granted a referendum on independence like Scotland's in 2014 - where people voted to remain in Britain - but was looking beyond that.
"Here that's not going to happen one way or another, so we're going to just declare independence, and that's it," Pedra added.
Whether regional leaders will manage to produce the break they have promised is unclear.
Pro-separatist parties won a majority of seats in the regional assembly last year and have starting laying the ground for laws and institutions for an independent state, though such moves have been deemed illegal in court.
"The whole process is going a little slowly," said another participant, 64-year-old maths teacher Rafael Subirats, adding he thought independence was unlikely to happen by 2017.
Secessionists fell short of winning an overall majority of the vote last September, which according to anti-independence campaigners weakens the mandate for a split. (FullText)
Thursday, January 21, 2016
Spain: Baby contracts scurvy after vegan almond milk diet
(thelocal.es) - An eleven month-old baby in Spain has been diagnosed with scurvy after he was fed on almond milk alone.
The infant suffered fractures in his back and legs as a result of vitamin C deficiency and cried whenever his legs were moved.
The diagnosis emerged in a case study published this week in the journal Pediatrics and highlights the dangers of restricting infants to plant-based only diets.
The infant was switched to an almond-based mixture at two and a half months of age after developing an allergic reaction to cow milk-based formula.
The mother had tried to introduce pureed fruit and vegetables when the child reached six months old but the baby refused anything but the almond milk bottle.
But at eleven months of age, the child was unable to stand on his legs and cried if someone tried to move them.
Doctors discovered that he had fractures in his femurs and suffered vitamin C deficiency and was diagnosed with scurvy, a disease best known for afflicting sailors who were deprived of fresh fruit and vegetables while on long sea voyages.
Doctors who treated the child at Valencia’s Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe warned that the case served to underscore that “plant-based beverages are not a complete food”.
“This case presents scurvy as a new and severe complication of improper use of almond beverage in the first year of life,” the case study authors wrote.
“When plant-based beverages are the exclusive diet in the first year of life and not consumed as a supplement to formula or breastfeeding, it can result in severe nutritional problems.”
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Spain ‘issues arrest warrant’ for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over 2010 Gaza flotilla attack
(independent.co.uk) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seven other former and current government officials are at risk of arrest if they set foot in Spain, after a Spanish judge effectively issued an arrest warrant for the group, it has been reported.
According to the Latin American Herald Tribune, Spanish national court judge Jose de la Mata ordered the police and civil guard to notify him if Mr Netanyahu and the six other individuals enter the country, as their actions could see a case against them regarding the Freedom Flotilla attack of 2010 reopened.
The other men named in the issue are former defence minister Ehud Barak, former foreign minister Avigdor Leiberman, former minister of strategic affairs Moshe Yaalon, former interior minister Eli Yishai, minister without portfolio Benny Begin and vice admiral maron Eliezer, who was in charge of the operation.
The case – which was put on hold by Judge de la Mata last year – was brought against the men following an attack by Israeli security forces against the Freedom Flotilla aid ships in 2010, which was trying to reach Gaza.
It concerns the Mavi Marmara ship, the main civilian vessel in a fleet of six that were attempting to break an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The six ships were carrying around 500 passengers, humanitarian aid and construction materials. The Israeli Defence Force stormed the ship in a raid that left nine human rights activists dead. A tenth activist died later that month due to wounds sustained in the raid.
The Israeli Prime Minister and other officials now face charges in the case, should it be reopened.
An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nachshon told the Jerusalem Post: “We consider it to be a provocation. We are working with the Spanish authorities to get it cancelled. We hope it will be over soon.” (FULL TEXT)
According to the Latin American Herald Tribune, Spanish national court judge Jose de la Mata ordered the police and civil guard to notify him if Mr Netanyahu and the six other individuals enter the country, as their actions could see a case against them regarding the Freedom Flotilla attack of 2010 reopened.
The other men named in the issue are former defence minister Ehud Barak, former foreign minister Avigdor Leiberman, former minister of strategic affairs Moshe Yaalon, former interior minister Eli Yishai, minister without portfolio Benny Begin and vice admiral maron Eliezer, who was in charge of the operation.
The case – which was put on hold by Judge de la Mata last year – was brought against the men following an attack by Israeli security forces against the Freedom Flotilla aid ships in 2010, which was trying to reach Gaza.
It concerns the Mavi Marmara ship, the main civilian vessel in a fleet of six that were attempting to break an Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The six ships were carrying around 500 passengers, humanitarian aid and construction materials. The Israeli Defence Force stormed the ship in a raid that left nine human rights activists dead. A tenth activist died later that month due to wounds sustained in the raid.
The Israeli Prime Minister and other officials now face charges in the case, should it be reopened.
An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nachshon told the Jerusalem Post: “We consider it to be a provocation. We are working with the Spanish authorities to get it cancelled. We hope it will be over soon.” (FULL TEXT)
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Catalonia on a secessionist trajectory
(neurope.eu) - The Prime Minister of Catalonia, Arthur Mas, has pronounced the September 27 regional elections in Catalonia a de facto plebiscite on independence. He is warning that he will declare unilateral independence in the event of his reelection within six months of his elections. The longstanding Prime Minister is leading a secessionist bloc with the Catalan Republican Left (ERC).
In a poll published on Monday, the pro-independence camp in Catalonia is leading the polls, with 39% favoring a union and 47% preferring independence. This is a comfortable lead for secession.
54% of Catalans could live with a Federal Spain in the framework of greater devolution, an idea that is supported across Spain by merely 34%.
Across the country, a standoff between Barcelona and Madrid is thought to be inevitable by 60% of respondents whilst 73% agree that Catalan secession would be bad for Spain.
The standoff has already begun. Last November, the Catalan government held an unofficial referendum that yielded a pro-independence result. This set the region on a pro-independence trajectory ruining a 37 year governing coalition between the Prime Minister’s CiU (Democratic Convergence of Catalonia) and the Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC). The new found ally for Mas, the ERC, has paradoxically been the longstanding left opposition to Mas.
UDC does not support outright independence, but merely greater Spanish devolution. The new emerging political force originating from Catalonia, Ciudadanos, are also largely pro-union. Whilst this is thought to be a minority position, it is gaining ground.
Being anti-independence is historically a taboo issue since unitary positions have for long been associated with the Franco regime. But, the pro-independence movement correlates with policies of severe austerity, thought to be imposed by Madrid, adding a “neoliberal” layer upon the Franco unitary legacy. Ironically, the champion of independence, the Prime Minister Arthur Mas, was the one who introduced most of the pro-austerity legislation and even had to be flown with a helicopter into the Catalan parliament to circumvent angry demonstrators in 2011.
The Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, has made clear that on his watch Catalonia is not going to leave Spain. King Felipe VI also called upon the Prime Minister of Catalonia to respect rule of law.
* * * *
Related: TheLocalEspana: King Felipe VI warns Catalonia over independence drive
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Doctors Confirm first Human Death officially caused by GMOs
(WorldNewsDailyReport) Madrid| Doctors of the Carlos III hospital confirmed this morning in a press conference, the first case of human death caused by the ingestion of genetically modified food. Juan Pedro Ramos died from anaphylaxis after eating some recently developed tomatoes containing fish genes, which provoked a violent and lethal allergic reaction.
This surprising announcement comes after the autopsy of the 31-year old Spanish man who died at the Madrid hospital in the beginning of January. The young man’s health rapidly deteriorated after he suffered an unexplained allergic reaction, and all the drugs used to refrain the anaphylaxis were entirely inefficient. The team of experts claims to have been able to determine that the genetically modified tomatoes that the victim ingested at lunch were the cause of the allergic reaction that caused his death. Read more
This surprising announcement comes after the autopsy of the 31-year old Spanish man who died at the Madrid hospital in the beginning of January. The young man’s health rapidly deteriorated after he suffered an unexplained allergic reaction, and all the drugs used to refrain the anaphylaxis were entirely inefficient. The team of experts claims to have been able to determine that the genetically modified tomatoes that the victim ingested at lunch were the cause of the allergic reaction that caused his death. Read more
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