Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 21 September 2018
Plight of jailed Catalans strains dialogue with Spain

By RENATA BRITO prosecutor, is sticking to
ARITZ PARRA the line that the separatists
Associated Press are receiving due process
SANT JOAN DE VILATOR- according to Spanish law.
RADA, Spain (AP) — A farm But some officials have ac-
tractor with a crane lifts up knowledged that dialogue
half a dozen people hold- would be easier with the
ing Catalan independence Catalans out of jail.
flags in northeast Spain, try- Foreign Minister Josep Bor-
ing to get high enough so rell, a politician from Cata-
they can peek into a prison lonia who presided over
courtyard and see their the European Parliament,
separatist heroes. recently said "at a personal
The distance makes it hard level" he would have pre-
to recognize the faces of ferred for the separatists to
the Catalan activists and be free while awaiting trial.
politicians jailed in the Lle- That comment was mir-
doners penitentiary while rored by Territorial Affairs
they await trial for their in- Minister Meritxell Batet, an-
volvement in a banned in- other Catalan in Sanchez's
dependence referendum cabinet, who said "it would
last year in Catalonia. But be better and much easier
inmates and supporters In this Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 photo, pro independence supporters set their chairs and tables to for the dialogue" if the Cat-
make a quick connection. make a picnic on a field overlooking the Lledoners prison in Sant Joan de Vilatorrada, about 50 alans were free.
Shouts of "Freedom!" and kilometres away from Barcelona, Spain. For separatist parties in the
"We want you home!" from Associated Press prosperous region, howev-
outside are met with "We er, the prisoners keep pro-
want to be out!" coming ma Albalate a 58-year-old of what many perceive as 1, 2017 referendum on in- independence supporters
from the prison. And joy nurse who joins her son for Spain's heavy-handed at- dependence. Former re- united, says political ana-
erupts when the unofficial twice-a-week picnics of tempt to crush the inde- gional ministers Oriol Jun- lyst Pablo Simon.
Catalan flag embraced solidarity in these quiet hills pendence movement in queras and Jordi Turull are "For a highly fragmented
by secessionists, the "este- of rural Catalonia. Catalonia. They are also also here. Catalan movement that
lada," appears through the Jailed Catalan separatists, a key stumbling block in The latter's wife, Blanca scrambles to find the next
bars of a cell window. together with those who negotiations trying to find Bragulat, stood this week step in the fight for inde-
"I'm convinced that the en- fled abroad to avoid pros- a way out of the political outside the prison's walled pendence, the prisoners'
ergy we send them from ecution by Spain, have be- deadlock, Spain's worst perimeter and put her hus- plight is their only source of
here helps them," said Qui- come an emotional symbol constitutional crisis in de- band on speakerphone for cohesion currently. But the
cades. supporters. politicians are in the hands
Their absence casts a shad-
OFFICE SPACE ow over Thursday's com- Turull said, replying to ques- with jailed separatists there
"We're OK, we are strong," of activists who think that
memorations of the year tions by friends and rela-
can't be any compromise
tives who applauded when with central authorities,"
since Spanish police be-
FOR RENT gan searching government they heard his voice. said the Carlos III University
buildings in Barcelona and Holding Catalan indepen-
professor. "There's very little
dence flags and wearing room to maneuver."
arresting Catalan officials.
Several thousand people, yellow t-shirts and ribbons Meanwhile, divisions over
including Catalan region- — ubiquitous symbols of the issue of independence
al president Quim Torra, support for those they con- are still running high in the
turned out for a protest sider to be political prison- streets of Catalonia. Some
Thursday night in Barce- ers — these families have people have objected
lona to mark those events, been setting up the picnic to using public spaces to
which helped to fire up tables twice a week ever hang symbols in support of
the latest secessionist push since the inmates were the prisoners.
in a region where many transferred from prisons For separatists — but also
have long sought to break near Madrid to this facil- for some of those who don't
away from Spain. Protesters ity 70 kilometers (43 miles) support a separate Catalo-
shouted for the jailed ac- north of Barcelona. nia — the jailing of the of-
tivists to be released from The transfers were ordered ficials without even setting
prison. by Spanish Prime Minister a date for a trial feels like a
Nine of the separatists re- Pedro Sanchez soon after deep injustice.
main in preventive jail on he came to power in June "We need the higher courts
preliminary charges of re- to ease the political con- to look at us here and see
bellion and abuse of pow- flict. But regional separat- that these people defend-
er. Seven are in Lledoners, ist authorities in Catalonia ed political ideas," said
including prominent activ- want more and are urg- Albalate, the nurse. "But
ists Jordi Sanchez and Jordi ing state prosecutors to that's not a reason for them
Cuixart, who drew tens of change their position and to be in jail."
thousands to the streets allow the release of the Bragulat said she hoped
one year ago to protest prisoners. "the European Commu-
police searches ahead of The central government, nity at some point will say
Catalonia's banned Oct. which appoints the top something."q