Arcadia Spain

As is a well known fact, Catalonia celebrated an unofficial referendum last Sunday, October 1st. Although the intention of voters was to be able to peacefully exercise their right- even while knowing that the results would not be admitted by the Spanish government- police apprehended ballot boxes, closed polling stations and repressed those who insisted on voting. These clashes resulted in several hundred wounded (none of relevance) and an unflattering image of Spain in the international community.

The result of this referendum, as announced by the Catalan government, was of 90% of voters supporting independence. Mr Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan president, corroborated that he would declare independence by the following week. Many people expected that October 6 (Friday) would be the day, in clear remembrance of the declaration of Lluis Companys of the Catalan Republic in 1934.

However, as the day progressed, it was clear that the president would choose Monday 9 to make the announcement. By midmorning, the Spanish central government declared that the Constitutional Tribunal had prohibited the Catalan Parliament meeting on Monday. Hence the Catalan government declared it would meet on Tuesday.

By the afternoon, two of the largest banks in Catalonia, Caixabank and Banco de Sabadell, had announced that their headquarters would move to Valencia and Alicante respectively to ensure that savings would be safe in case of a Unilateral Declaration of Independence.

Since then, it seems that tension has lowered considerably. Other companies, among them two large pharmaceutical brands, have also announced their move to Madrid, effectively displaying the lack of confidence in the finances of a Catalan independent state.

The latest rumors are that a Declaration of Independence is still likely but a more plausible scenario is a down-to-the-wire negotiation with the EU. The Lawyers´ Guild has already initiated talks with the Catalan parliament.

Here at our Center, I held a special lecture for our current students on the Arcadia in Barcelona program, about the history and politics of the Catalan independence movement so they could better contextualize what they are seeing and hearing on the streets and in the media. It was really interesting and energizing to see the how everyone wanted to learn more about the nuances of what is going on today. If any of you students have more questions or ideas to discuss, my door is always open.

Concerning the safety of our students, there are a few things that must be considered:

• Civilian population in Spain, anywhere in the country, is unarmed. Purchasing pistols or other weapons, even for hunting, is extremely complicated. A highly unlikely presence of the armed forces would be met with no resistance.
• Catalans, if repressed by the police, will show their discontent towards the Central Government, never to other Spaniards for the sake of not being Catalan. This is a political situation, not racial, ethnic, or religious.
• Even in this climate, the well being of tourists and visitors is hugely important for everyone. Animosity towards foreigners is simply non-existent.
• In case of demonstrations turned violent, potential harm is COMPLETELY avoidable: simply following the instructions of staying away from the foci of unrest ensures total safety.

I will be updating you all as events unfold