Spain to trigger direct rule over Catalonia as deadline passes

(Worthy News) – The Spanish government is to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy and impose direct rule after the region’s president refused to abandon the push for independence that has led to Spain’s biggest political crisis for 40 years.

The announcement of the unprecedented measure came after Carles Puigdemont threatened a unilateral declaration of independence if the Spanish government did not agree to talks on the issue.

In a letter sent on Thursday morning to the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, Puigdemont said talks were the only way to avert the crisis, as the deadline set by Madrid for the region to abandon its independence plans passed.

The Catalan president also accused Spanish authorities of seeking to repress the independence movement after two of its leaders were denied bail by a national court judge earlier this week, and he said using article 155 of the constitution to impose direct rule from Madrid would force his hand. [ Source: Guardian (Read More…) ]