Catalan president sends letter to Spanish PM - Translation
Esteemed President Rajoy,
On 1 October the people of Catalonia voted for independence in a referendum, backed by a large part of the electorate. The percentage was larger than that which allowed the United Kingdom to start the Brexit process and more Catalans voted for it than those who backed the region's autonomous status.
On 10 October, the parliament met to evaluate the results of the referendum and its implications, which is when I proposed suspending the effects of that popular mandate.
I did so in order to allow for the dialogue which many European and global leaders had asked you and I for. Indeed, in the letter I addressed to you on Monday I proposed a meeting between us, to which you have not responded.
Neither did you respond to my petition [for Madrid] to roll-back its repressive measures. Quite the opposite, they have been increased, including with the jailing of the heads of civic associations Omnium Cultural and the Catalan National Assembly, whose reputations for civic, peaceful and democratic activities are widely recognised.
This suspension [of the popular mandate] is still in vigour. The responsibility for deciding to apply Article 155 belongs to the government, following approval in the Senate. Despite all these efforts and our call for dialogue, the fact that the only response has been to suspend autonomy demonstrates scant awareness of the problems at hand and a lack of willingness to talk.
Lastly, should the central government insist in blocking dialogue and continue with its repression, the Catalan parliament will be justified, if it considers it opportune, to vote on a formal declaration of independence, something which it did not do on 10 October.
Sincerely,
Carles Puigdemont i Casamajo