Spain squanders money in a pharaonic but useless railway

The pharaonic railway of High-Speed Train between Albacete and Cuenca has costed an enormous effort and has lasted 6 months in operation. The railway has just nine daily travelers when the forecast, proper of stupid people, was of 2.190 people.

In fact, both zones, as many others of Castilla, have no inhabitants to justify a railway of such characteristics. The travel of every person costs 1,100,00 € but the ticket is only 42,50 €. The works were as high as 3.500 million €. They began in 2001. All this money have been literally sent to the nowhere.
The Spanish company recognized that “it is a disaster”.
Nobody has resigned, as usual in Spain.

Catalonia: Spain's secret conflict

SPAIN'S SECRET CONFLICT from Jordi SF on Vimeo.

The case of the Catalans: trip to Westminster

On Monday 13 of June of current year 2011 in the afternoon it is foreseen to go to the city of London in order to deliver to the Westminster Parliament the set of accessions achieved during our three months campaign All to Westminster, the case of the catalans.

It is foreseen a proposal including flight, transport and hotel and, additionally, several turistic and cultural activities will be arranged in London and its neighborhood so that we take maximum advantage of our stay in the capital of England.

The case of the Catalans

On 20th June of 1705, the City of Geneva, the Catalan commissioners Perera Domènech and Antoni de Peguera and the attendant of Queen Anne of England, Mitford Crowe, signed an agreement upon which the English Crown promised “a lifetime warranty to guarantee privileges and the Laws of the Principality”. These were moments in which the Catalan Nation was fighting against the Spanish and French troops to safeguard their liberty and their constitutional system, which was finally suppressed by the Nova Planta Decrees. Unfortunately, The British Crown,, did not meet the Commitment leaving the Catalan people at their own fate in absolute inferiority of the occupants. It was as early as 1714 that English deputies protested for what was called “the case of the catalans”.

On July 17th of the year 2010, fourteen deputies of the Westminster Parliament representing the people of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England, delivered a motion to the British Parliament so that to approve a support agreement to Catalonia for the right to decide their own future and become a free country among the free countries of the world.

As a knowledge proof and recognition an accession collection campaign has been initiated and we will personally deliver it to the British Deputies. The accessions can be done through this web site casdelscatalans.cat.

We therefore invite everybody to access to the public pronouncement and make it visible to all those people wishing to show their acknowledgment for the support received which, no doubt, will mean the beginning of a new era to bring us to the international recognition of the Catalan nation.

1.568 local councillors elected are pro Independence

Last May 22nd local councils were renewed in Catalonia. Catalan independence movement, in political terms, is highly divided. There were many lists from many parties: Esquerra, Reagrupament, CUP, Solidaritat, Identitat,... It supposed a set back for the independence voters. In spite of this there were elected 1.568 local councillors from independentist parties. Most of them (1.384) from ERC. CUP is the second on with a hundred councillors (up from 20).

From now on 17 % of the Catalan local councillors have been elected in lists which defend the Catalan independence. Two of them in tne main city, Barcelona, were Esquerra, Reagrupament and Democràcia Catalans formed a single list. Pro independence vote amounted 370.000 people.

300,000 items for the Catalan Wikipedia

The Catalan edition of Wikipedia arrived on Wednesday to 300,000 items. The growth of the Catalan Wikipedia continues steadily. O March 2010 passed 250,000 articles, in September 2009 exceeded 200,000 articles, and in January 2010 reached the number one position worldwide in quality. Amid all this the British Museum was awarded two prizes for a couple of articles.


It is just in the 13th position in world ranking for this category. This summer, for instance, topped the Norwegian edition.. This sort of ranking for more than 270 editions of Wikipedia as its extension and the achievement of the 1000 articles considered most important by users of an encyclopedia. You can view the full details of the Catalan version of Wikipedia in the Statistics section.

Pujol (autonomist leader): "Bridges are broken between Madrid and Catalonia"

Jordi Pujol was the president of the autonomous government of Catalonia 23 years. He represented (represents) the Catalonians who want an entente with Spain but maintaining their Catalonian identity. His coalition CiU has always defended self-government in spite of independence. But things have changed…

You can read (in French) his new opinions in this "Le Figaro" interview. For instance:

"Bridges are broken between Madrid and Catalonia"

"There is now a climate of anti Catalan hostility in Madrid"

"Spain has done so in most regions, but Catalonia has resisted."

"Specifically, 8.5% of GDP in Catalonia disappears in favor of other Spanish regions. This situation is not tolerable."

"We can agree, but on one condition: the attacks against Catalonia must stop."

Pujol is a dreamer: the attacks will no stop.

Catalan nationalism increases vote, seats and parties

Catalan nationalism obtained a significant increment of vote, seats and even number of parties in the parliamentary elections held yesterday. On the contrary, Spanish allegiance parties globally got the worst results ever since the reestablishment of the Catalan Parliament. Convergència i Unió (center-right moderate Catalan nationalists) will then form government despite it didn't reach an absolute majority. However, CiU is to face the most fragmented opposition ever.

The advance of Catalan nationalism is mainly due to the progress of CiU, which gains 260,000 votes and obtains 14 seats more than in 2006 elections, with a total of 62 -6 below the absolute majority. This large majority will allow CiU (a federation of CDC and UDC) and its leader Artur Mas to form its own government with the eventual support of 4 different parties in opposition with whom it may reach parliamentary majority: PSC-PSOE (Catalan labour with links with Zapatero's PSOE), PP (Popular Party, Spanish conservative nationalists), ICV (eco-socialists) and ERC (Catalan Republican Left of Catalonia, pro-independence). The advance of Catalan nationalism is also due to the entering into Parliament of SI (Catalan Solidarity for Independence), the new party created by former FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta. This is the first time there is a second pro-independence party in Parliament after ERC.
Success by CiU and SI makes light of ERC's free fall. Catalan Republicans have lost 200,000 votes and 11 of the 21 seats obtained in 2006. Pro-independence republicans have been inflicted a hard blow, as they got the worst results since 1988. Leader of ERC Joan Puigcercós has come behind eco-socialists (ICV) in number of votes although both former allies in power have got the same number of seats (10). ICV also decreased its vote and lost 2 seats, 1 in Barcelona and 1 Lleida electoral districts.
Spanish nationalism toughens
Performance of Spanish allegiance parties (PSC-PSOE, PP and Ciudadanos) is worse than in past elections. It amounts to 49 seats, 5 less than in 2006. In spite of this, both PP and Ciudadano's extreme Spanish nationalism increased: PP obtained 70,000 extra votes and 4 seats more, while C's obtained 15,000 extra ballots. As regards Catalan socialists with links with Zapatero's PSOE (PSC), they've got the worst results ever, losing 225,000 votes and 9 seats. PSC's performance has been regarded as a total failure considering its leader José Montilla has been holding the presidency of Catalonia for the last 4 years.
Xenophobic discourse takes shape but remains out of Parliament
Josep Anglada's PxC (Plataforma per Catalunya) captured 75,000 votes. For the first time a xenophobic party has been about to enter parliament, but only secured 2.4 % of the vote 0.6% below the 3% threshold to gain seats. Joan Carretero's Reagrupament Independentista (RICat), with 40,000 votes, also failed to enter the chamber. Despite obtaining 3.3% of the share in the electoral district of Girona, the recently created pro-independence party fell short in the rest of electoral districts.
Nationalia
Full results

New York Times: benefits of independence in the long term are huge

Catalonians will decide next Sunday their autonomous Parliament. Finally there will be four independentist options: Esquerra (ERC), Reagrupament (Rcat), Solidaritat (SI) and Des de Baix. Esquerra is a moderate left party who has governed last 7 years with the Spanish nationalist PSOE. The improvements for Catalonia have been almost zero so the historic party will have a strong fail. Reagrupament is a ERC's split with  a personal leader, doctor Joan Carretero. Solidaritat is a coalition lead by ex-Barcelona F.C. president, Joan Laporta. The coalition is formed by the independentist wing of CDC (an autonomist party), another ERC's split and minor parties: Greens, Republicans and Marxists. Finally Des de Baix is a coalition of three trostkist groups formed by federalists and independentists.
An USA newspaper, "New York Times", includes a full report about elections. Only Solidaritat is asked by the NYT. In the report a Catalonian economist says "the benefits of independence in the long term are huge". The paper says independentist division will weak the movement. This election is a historic opportunity to take a decisive step toward independence,” says Joan Laporta to NYT: The right to handle our own money is a priority."

1st national convention of Catalan Solidarity for the Independence (SI)

More than 1.500 supporters of the SI in the 1st Convention. In the first National Convention of the Catalan Solidarity for Independence, held on October 24th in the Congress Palace of Catalonia. The Election Manifesto of the coalition was passed with 894 votes in favor, 2 blank and none against it. Out of the passed amendments one is referred to the replacement of the word espoli for espoliació ( both mean plundering with a shade of meaning). In this case the amendment was passed with 436 votes in favor, 238 against and 204 blank ballot papers.
At the time of the election for the Manifesto there were 896 joint members in the auditoruim but throughout the morning the number of joint members and supporters has increased until it exceeded 1500 people.
After passing the Manifesto, some of the party representatives that are part of the coalition (Els Verds-Alternativa Verda, Catalunya Nació Independència, Partit Republicà Català, PSAN, Democràcia Catalana i Solidaritat per la Independència) gave a brief speech. For instance, Santi Vilanova, representing the party Verda-Alternativa Verda, has highlighted that « the nation that we aspire to has to be ruch in life quality » and, for that reason, they are committed to ecological policies to preserve the environment. The leader of the Partit Socialista d’Alliberament Nacional (PSAN), Josep Guia, has admitted the following: »Now not only the Valencians must talk about the SI, all of you must talk about it as if you were Valencians », highlighting this way the importance of acheiving the unity of all the Catalan regions. Agustí Soler, representative of the Partit Republicà Català, has assured that « the greatness of the nations is measured by their people, let’s promote then the values of peace, human rights and the rights of the people ».
After that, Anna Arqué, the number five of the SI in Barcelona, announced the social entities that were present in the First Nacional Convention of the SI and gave her word to the members of international parties like the N-VA in Flanders, represented by Jan Jambon, who emphasized that his presence in the National Convention of the SI is, above all, due to his affinity with Catalonia: »I’m not here just as a member of the party but also as a Flemish nationalist because there are a lot of similarities between both territories ». In fact Jambon has given support to the political project led by Joan Laporta. He manifested « I’m here for the peaceful fight and for freedom ». Anyway, Brice Lafontaine, general secretary of Unitat Catalana, party that has signed a collaboration contract  the SI, he brought up the marginalization of the catalanism in the North of Catalonia, but he also stated that thanks to his party’s work Catalan has gained visibility in the public sphere.
In her turn, the writer Isael-Clara Simó, number 4 of the SI in Barcelona, said that « this is boiling of independence, so it’s ready », however, she admitted that « maybe we’ll get some scratches but the path has begun and those who don’t want to see it should get used to it » and she remembered in front of the more than 1500 members and supporters of the SI that « the enemies of an Independent Catalonia would be the Spanish, the Catalan Spanish nationalists and the puritan independentists that always find reservations in joining the path to freedom »
Afterwards it was time to introduce the candidates of the four constituencies, which heads of the list praised their lists. The candidate of the SI in Girona, Toni Strubell, announced that he ignores « the century the other organizations represent, but the SI is the independentist option of the 21st century ». Strubell explained that the list for Girona is transverse and admitted that what « makes me happier is that there are such important people in it from the beginning to the end » he also added that Núria Cadenes closed the list he headed. On the other hand, the head for Tarragona, Hèctor López Bofill, has assured that « we will get the 68 deputies we need for the Independence » because « we are the hope, the excitement and the truth » and he highlighted his list was diverse « with competent people that loves the nation ». And Francesc Xavier Segura, who heads the list for Lleida, has insisted that « the people of the SI is brave because has hold onto the opportunity of attracting people like me to Independence and we have passes the election manifesto that tell us how to go where we want to go ».
The last candidates to take part ere the promoters of the SI project. The number three of Barcelona, Uriel Bertran, explained that « the 26th of November we will have existed for three months, and if in this time we have been able to achieve everything we have now, in four months we should obtain the absolut majority » Bertran has warned that they’ll try to take us apart, but it will be too late because this movement is not us but the Catalan nation » and precisely because of that, « from this movement will rise the people that will rule the country ». The candidate of the SI, referring to the anthem of Catalonia, remembered that « the 28th of November will be the fight of our ancestors and be will aim for the 68 deputies ».

Alfons López Tena, number 2 in Barcelona, has emphasized that « here we are the ones that must hold the beating heart that is the hope of Catalonia ». López Tena also assured that « now is the moment to work for Catalonia’s freedom » because « we shouldn’t leave another generation under Spain ».
And finally, the candidate of the SI to the presidency of the Generalitat, Joan Laporta, defended the independence as a solution for the global crisis and explained how was created the coalition that he heads: » I put my fame to the service of this country because as a Cataln I had the obligation to do so but what actually triggered the creation of the SI was the visit of Uriel Bertran and Alfons López Tena who sacrificed a lot » and also « the protest on the 10th of July which wasn’t against the Constitutional Court but called for independence ». Furthermore, Laporta thanked the Constitutional Court because « it’s taught us the path we should take », actually with a free state « Catalonia wouldn’t lose 22.000 million € every year « sum that represents 10% of the Catalan GDP. Laporta insisted that independence will be achieved through peaceful and democratic means » and asked all the members and sympathizers to have « courage and audacity » to achieve freedom. « The day after the independence Catalans will go to work as always with the only difference that they will be ruled by someone that cares about their interests », stated the candidate to the SI to the presidency of the Generalitat.
Joan Laporta added that the politics « have done nothing but crying and that should be punished in the elections, democratically » since « after the shame we’ve got to go through with the Statute now they say they will develop it in secret, which we don’t accept because we hold our head high ». The head of the list of the SI has highlighted that « we will be independent when women want us to be so because all great countries are matriarchies and they will be the ones who will bring independence to life ».Nevertheless, Laporta has declared « I don’t want my children to be independentist, we all have the right to the pursuit of hapiness ». To end the ceremony all the candidates of the SI went on stage to sing « Els Segadors », Catalan national anthem.

The Catalan lipdub for independence, world record

Up to 5730 people have finally participated in the historic Lipdub for Independence. It was  was recorded on Sunday at Vic (Osona), so the bulk interpretation of 'Flame', the Valencian band Obrint Pas (Opening Step): The lipdub get a certificate of World Records Academy as the most followed lipdub. You can follow this at Nació Digital.

Five parties claim Autonomy for Northen Catalonia

On September 26, five political parties met in Donibane Lohizune (French Basque country) to discuss the proposed land reform the French government. The parties issued a joint statement where they observe that the government's response is global even meeting different scenarios. The proposals, they say, tend to go back on decentralization and local democracy using the excuse of simplifying and good management committed to measures that reinforce centralism. Examples are made the suppression of "pays” (countries) in Brittany and Northern Basque Country (Iparralde).


However there are positive aspects as the mergers in Alsace and Savoie (now divided into two departments each), or the reunification of Brittany. The statement claims to transform the Catalan and Basque departments into news entities with special status. This figure already exists in Corsica as a self-government with limited powers.
The signatories of the declaration are Unser Land of Alsace, Parti Breton / Strollad Breizh Brittany, Democratic Convergence of Catalonia North Ligue Savoisienne and Basque Nationalist Party of Euskadi North.

Thousands demonstrated in València

Thousands of Valencian people demonstrated on October 9th in defense of their roots, the culture and social cuts against the Spanish government. Called by various organizations and parties led by the capital Acció Cultural del País Valencià (ACPV), Valencian Country Cultural Action resorted to 15,000 people according to the organization. The march commemorated the entry of Aragon and the Catalan troops of James I to the city from the river Turia on 1238. In Castelló de la Plana dozens of people stopped an Spanish fascist concentration.

Letter to President Obama about Catalonia

Harvard professor Obama can now apply his theories of democracy on Catalonia.
The Catalan independence star, here on July 10, is taken from the Cuban flag, whose independence leader was the Catalan José Martí.


Anthropology professor Susan M. DiGiacomo has written to former Constitutional Law professor Obama about the scandalous disrespect for democracy by Spanish nationalists and their corrupt Supreme Court denying fundamental constitutional rights to Catalans (Search Carter Calls for Catalan Independence).

I write to you not only in your capacity as President of the United States, but also as a former professor of Constitutional Law. In The Audacity of Hope, you propose we understand democracy “not as a house to be built, but as a conversation to be had. The American Constitution organizes the way by which we argue about our future. Implicit in its structure, in the very idea of ordered liberty, was a rejection of absolute truth, the infallibility of any idea or ideology, any tyrannical consistency that might lock future generations into a single unalterable course.“ In Catalonia what is happening is precisely this attempt to end conversation by arguing that the house is already built, constitutionally, and that no further debate is even legimate. A completely politicized court uses the Constitution as a weapon to crush the legitimate national aspirations of a people and to set absolute limits. Its statute of autonomy was approved no fewer than three times: by the Catalan parliament, by the Spanish Congress, and by the Catalan people in a referendum. What is happening here, then, is an assault on democracy. In the United States, when the will of the people is not reflected in the Constitution, the Constitution has been amended. What the Spanish court has done is to consider the Spanish Constitution untouchable, engraved in stone, and their reading of it is so restrictive that the democratically expressed will of the Catalan people has no place in it. Catalonia is an ancient European nation with an equally ancient tradition of representative government, predating the English Magna Carta. In the Middle Ages Catalonia was an independent polity. Catalonia did not lose its institutions of self-government until 1714, by force of arms when an absolutist monarchy came to power. With the death of General Franco, Catalonia began to recover once more its political institutions abrogated by the victorious fascists. On July 10, more than a million Catalans filled the streets of Barcelona to reject the court’s decision. Increasing numbers of Catalans see no other path to national survival except through full sovereignty within the framework of the European Union. There is nothing in international law that prevents a people from unilaterally declaring independence. Former president Jimmy Carter in Barcelona described the court’s decision as an error, and offered to send observers in the event of a referendum on Catalan independence. I ask only that you establish contacts with the Catalan government that will emerge from this fall’s election. Catalonia badly needs international interlocutors and international visibility.

Catalan News Agency: a fantastic tool

Next October 1st, the Agència Catalana de Notícies (ACN) will present its English news service, the Catalan News Agency (CNA). ACN’s director Saül Gordillo says that the CNA aims to publish main news stories from Catalonia for an international audience. “The CNA wants to inform people from abroad about Catalonia, but from a Catalan point of view, so that foreign media do not only have the perspective of the Madrid based press”, argued Gordillo.

The director of the agency says that the CNA is an “ambitious” project. He explained that the English website is not an automatic translation of the agency’s main contents. On the contrary, journalists elaborate the information in English starting from scratch, bearing international media and the public in mind. “We offer more contextualised information that helps to understand the Catalan reality (...) There is no news provider in Catalonia with the intention of being understood abroad”.
The director of the agency said that the CNA is a “strategic plan for the future”' in order to “open” the company to the world. “The Agència Catalana de Notícies is the national news agency of Catalonia. As a public service, we thought that we should project Catalonia into the world. And to do it in English, especially in this moment of economic crisis and when the relationship between Catalonia and Spain is widely discussed”, he stated.
The English language service of the Catalan News Agency has 3 parts:
- The first one is a digital newspaper that includes the main news stories of the day.
- The second part of the website is an opinion blog called 'Catalan Views' in which recognised figures from the Catalan political, cultural, economic and social spheres participate.
- The third one is a newsletter with the most important information from the last fifteen days that will be sent to Catalan institutions abroad, foreign media, enterprises, tourist operators and universities. All the content of the CNA website is multimedia.

A former Catalan regional minister with Solidarity

A former minister of the Catalan regional government has announced it will support the new coalition SCI. Carles Solà was born in Xàtiva, Valencian Country on 1945.He awarded a PhD degree in Chemistry, he has carried out research in Biochemical Engineering with 130 publications, having tutored 22 doctoral theses. Solà was Rector of a Catalan University (UAB). He also was president of the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities and member of the Executive Committee for the International Association of University President as well as member of the Board of the European University Association. He was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa in Science from the University of Southampton (1999) and is member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Solà was proud to be in the last position in the Solidarity’s list. He says this is the best option fos catalan people to be independent and to be, withou filters, in Europe.
Other personalities are supporting the new movement as the Valencian writer Isabel Clara-Simó, prominent teachers of law and economics as Hèctor López Bofill and Emili Valdero or the notary Alfons López Tena. They are forming a storng team with key personalities of the “referendum movement” as uriel bertran and Anna Arqué. Last year about 500 referendums have been organized across the country with half a milion voters.