ALICANTE, Spain (AFP) — Spain captain Sergio Ramos risked creating tensions with his national teammates over Catalonia’s independence drive when he said Thursday the Spanish king’s TV address was “impeccable.” King Felipe VI’s speech Tuesday dismayed many Catalans as he described the separatist ambitions as “illegal” and made no mention of those hurt in police violence when they tried to vote in the banned weekend referendum. Real Madrid veteran Ramos said he believed the king’s […]
Tag: Catalans
Spain rejects mediation as Catalans plan to declare independence
by Marianne Barriaux with Roland Lloyd Parry in Madrid Agence France-Presse BARCELONA, Spain (AFP) – Spain’s government defiantly rejected calls for mediation Wednesday over Catalonia’s push for independence, which the country’s king warned was endangering national stability. As the European Union urged dialogue to ease the standoff between separatists in the northeastern region and Madrid, Catalan leaders said they could unilaterally declare independence as early as Monday. The tone of the crisis sharpened with Catalonia’s president denouncing […]
Catalans back independence vote
More than two million Catalans defied a Spanish court and voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence — cutting ties with Spain. Angela Garcia reports from Spain.





