Spain takes control of 'independent' Catalonia

October 28, 2017 16:26

A day after the Catalan Parliament declared independence, Spain today took direct control of Catalonia, firing the regional government and dismissing the head of the local police force.

Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet were formally removed from their posts, and their powers and responsibilities taken over by central government in notices posted to the official state bulletin on Saturday.

The firing of Josep Lluis Trapero, the highest-ranking officer of the Mossos d'Esquadra regional police, follows yesterday's dismissal of Catalonia's president, his deputy, all ministers, and the entire parliament.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who now replaces Puigdemont as the top decision-maker in the northeastern region, has dissolved the regional parliament and called a new regional election on December 21.

A 10-day general strike has already been called by one of Catalonias biggest unions in support of the new republic of Catalonia, starting on Monday. Some of the regions 200,000 civil servants have already said they will not accept orders from Madrid.

Tens of thousands celebrated in Barcelona and other Catalan cities after yesterday's independence declaration, which analysts say the region has no legal power to execute.

But anti-secession rallies have been called for the capital, Madrid, today, and for Barcelona tomorrow.

The move to quash Catalan powers under Article 155 of the Spanish constitution is likely to anger many in a region of some 7.5 million people that enjoyed considerable autonomy, with control over education, healthcare and police.

It is the first time the central government has curtailed autonomy in the region since dictator Francisco Franco's repressive 1939-75 rule.

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