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Catalonia’s Push for Independence Stokes Divisions Across Spain, and Among Catalans

Need to follow the money on this one!!

Read last line about Google!!

Unquestionably, Rajoy, who heads the conservative Popular Party, or PP, has allowed what started in 2006 as a dispute over the management of Catalonia’s finances to mushroom into Spain’s biggest political crisis since the country embraced democracy in 1978. From the beginning of his administration, in 2011, Rajoy let it be known that he had no intention of addressing Catalonia’s demands for greater autonomy, an attitude that disappointed even his political allies. Indeed, prior to the referendum, Rajoy ruled out negotiations with Catalan leaders unless they dropped their secessionist plans. This intransigence intensified in the days leading up to the nonbinding referendum, with Rajoy threatening to prosecute officials involved in organizing the vote. He also ordered civil guard officers to seize around 10 million ballots, and even managed to get a Barcelona court to instruct Google to disrupt the internet to prevent people from finding voting stations.

https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/23492/catalonia-s-push-for-independence-stokes-divisions-across-spain-and-among-catalans