Spain: Catalonia Declares Independence, More or Less

Catalonia's president, Carles Puigdemont, has proclaimed the region's independence from Spain. But in a speech before the Catalan parliament on Oct. 10, Puigdemont also asked the legislative body to suspend its enforcement for several weeks to initiate a dialogue with the Spanish government, one facilitated by international mediators. According to Puigdemont, the referendum has shown that Catalonia has the right to be its own republic. Still, he also acknowledged that tensions are high and an outside mediator is needed before the region can be independent....