Catalonia continues to send petitions for independence

Spanish media reported on October 5 that Catalonia's President Quim Torra has continued to send a letter calling on the Spanish government to engage in dialogue about the region's desire for independence. In addition to asking Madrid to initiate a dialogue as soon as possible, Mr. Quim Torra also sent a copy of the letter written in English to the governments of 43 countries, including the United States, Russia and China.

Catalan leader continues to send letters asking for independence recognition despite little success

Torra reportedly sent letters to the leaders of Russia, the United States and China, as these countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. The letter also called on prosecutors to drop charges against him and others detained during the 2017 referendum crisis.

In recent times, Catalan officials have been constantly pressuring the Spanish government to recognize secession. In early October, Mr. Quim Torra threatened to withdraw parliamentary support for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez if he did not agree within a month on a mechanism for self-determination for Catalonia.

However, the Spanish Government has rejected the above ultimatum, affirming that Madrid will focus on dialogue in many areas with Catalonia, to resolve the current political crisis.

Catalonia was granted autonomy under Spain's 1978 Constitution. However, in 2010, the country's Constitutional Court annulled several provisions of the Constitution, sparking a movement in favor of Catalan independence.

In early October 2017, the Catalan government led by Carles Puigdemont pushed ahead with a referendum on the region's status despite the Spanish Court ruling that the move was illegal. Out of Catalonia's 5.5 million voters, 2.3 million took part in the vote, with 90% of them supporting secession.