A referendum on Catalan independence passed this month despite opposition from the Spanish government.
Hey everyone on an Abbas here in New York with an aid being big story developing overseas you probably haven’t even heard much about but it’s been eight days. Since residents in Catalonia overwhelmingly voted for independence. From Spain and that vote a lot of people are saying has now triggered the worst constitutional crisis in Spain. In the last forty years and that country let’s go live now to Barcelona where he BC’s chief foreign affairs correspondent Terry ran. Has been covering the story on the ground Terry you’ve been talking to folks there that referendum vote was marred. By some unprecedented violence what’s it like they are now. Well I was here last week on the web that vote happened and your right there was violence in the streets. When the Spanish government sent in military police to stop that vote from happening they couldn’t. They got a pretty good turnout and 90% of the people who did go to the polls ended up voting. For independence. To declare independence for this region the region of Catalonia. And break up state so what happens now well they haven’t actually made the formal declaration yet. So today and this evening on the streets or were standing right outside the parliament where tomorrow. The head of the government here is expected to make a speech to declare an offense no one quite knows what’s going to happen there’s at a real sense of uncertainty. And tension people can’t believe that the logic of events that. What’s happening is really happening and the possibility. Not just of independence of the breakup of Spain. To say now that of what would happen to an independent Catalonia. What the response of the Spanish government would be both sides talking very tough right now. The Spanish government saying they will not allow this to happen. And there is a provision of the Spanish constitution. Which allows the central government. To take over the government here it’s got about pessimistic provision in accounts detective who think about it. But they have the power under article 155. To dissolve the government here and taken over from Madrid that would cause real. Clashes. People believe in the streets of Barcelona. And here we are seeing some of those clashes that happened all under that voting day just a week ago now it’s. Incredible to watching mean you’re talking about. The Madrid based government there in Spain sending troops down we’re seeing people being flung around. As they’re standing outside some of those voting locations 900 people. Were injured on that day but help us understand that because a lot of folks are just getting up to speed. On what this conflict is based on. So what accelerated it why did the people of Catalonia want to secede in the first place. Yeah it was a huge Lee egregious. Angering Arab by the Spanish government. To send the troops into the beat people who were just piece of peacefully assembling to try to vote on this referendum. The Spanish government. Out court had ruled that it was an illegal that referendum. So the government sent in troops to stop but didn’t and ended up in that terrible scene so why did these people here want to be independent for what is Catalonia but it does Barcelona. The whole world those Barcelona they get twelve million tourists a year. They had they Olympics here at the beautiful city it’s the capital of this region. Catalonia of about seven million people they like to say if they were independent B about the size of Denmark or maybe. Maybe Austria it’d be that kind of European country and why they want to be independent. One history. They speak a different language here can’t tell us. They have their own ancient history we got a history lesson today from one of the spokespersons. For the government they feel. Different have always had their distinctive traditions and have always been in some level of tension. With the central government but what really triggered it is a couple of things first the financial crisis this is the richest area of Spain 15. Spain’s. GDP comes from this region and they feel they pay too much to the central government they’d like some of that money back. They tried to do a deal around that back in 2010 that fell apart. And I think the people here feel. That the government ran the country’s economy into the ground and the financial crisis they picked up too much to the load and they want to get free of that. That another thing that happened. Was this British government’s reaction to all this they have been tough from the beginning. They arrested mayors and school principals we’re going to allow there. Their towns and their schools to be used as voting places they confiscated millions of ballots they put 101000 police. Here on the streets and all that I think. Increase the sentiment that weight we can no longer be part of a country that is treating us like this and then finally there’s just something. In the windy there is this dream that has been. Buried in cattle and folk songs and art and literature that is now seeming to come alive in front of them cannot tell you people. Are excited about that it is almost logic in the events here the streets are coming alive with the possibility. Would the banners that flags of the capital in nation hanging from the balconies around town that this really could happen and I think. There’s just they have momentum in the events which is brought things to this crisis. We’ll carry that momentum that excitement on the ground that is obviously something that the Madrid based Spanish government. Does not want to see that they said they do not want this to happen now that this vote. Has happened as you mentioned overwhelmingly. In support. Of independence. Now that there on this path is there any way off fifth. You know that is a great question. We are in a moment of extraordinary. Politics ordinary politics is when you keep talking keep talking cute doggie had to do a deal. All or you go back to the voters and come back and attack the problem next round. That’s over here. On the one side you’ve got a declaration of independence they they’ve crossed the line into this extraordinary political space. And on the other side you’ve got the Spanish government saying there is no such thing. And we will not allow it to happen. They’ve got to open the space again and what will do that well one thing is the reality of what it would mean to step across that line. This is. A very wealthy province. But there are already major banks major companies dead are pulling out of here this one of the richest parts of Europe and they’re saying. Too much instability too much uncertainty. Would would this new country of Catalonia be part of the EL a would have be it is little states in the in the middle of Europe. No one knows you know how. Bankers financiers. Corporate heads they hate uncertainty that’s already you’re seeing that happen. And there’s been a necessity. To avoid violence so much so that it may be that the European Union itself could step in and say time out. Let’s talk a right now. You know the Spanish government. Which represents them the people of spectacle Spain don’t want this part of Spain to secede. They’re saying we’ll talk but put the gun down don’t declare independence that they aren’t there’s a nonviolent movement I don’t mean that they are armed here. But they are at the extreme level of back to declare independence. And the spending comes as we are gonna talk and they put that away. And and it. People of this region are saying we want to talk but treated as equals and right now none of that happening so they have to open that space for dialogue. I don’t see it right now I’ll. Terry we should point out that you know of the about two and a half million people. Who did vote there was overwhelming support for independence but you’ve talked to some people there on the ground. In Catalonia who don’t necessarily want to be an independent country right. That’s right so that the referendum. This is about seven million people in Catalonia about five and a half million Ellis eligible voters. They got out about so little under two and a half million so they didn’t even get.
