Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

Catalonia could declare independence next week, indicates leader

Catalonia’s leader Carles Puigdemont indicated that the region could declare independence next week, as he criticised a speech by Spain’s King Felipe VI.

Mr Puigdemont told the BBC on Tuesday that his government would declare independence "at the end of this week or the beginning of next" after a referendum marred by police brutality led to 90% of voters backing a separate Catalan state.

The Catalan leader also criticised a speech by the Spanish king who stated the referendum was illegal and undemocratic. He stated the king had for "deliberately ignoring millions of Catalans" and “endorses the discourse and policies of the government of [prime minister Mariano] Rajoy, which have been catastrophic for Catalonia”.

“Your decision yesterday disappointed many people in Catalonia,” he added, addressing the king directly.

Meanwhile the mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau called on the European Union to help mediate the crisis. “The European Union came about as a project to safeguard and guarantee our rights and freedoms,” she said. “Defending the fundamental rights of Catalan citizens against a wave of repression from the Spanish state is also the same as defending the rights of Spanish and European citizens.”

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.