Geneva Manifesto for Catalonia Independence

(Manifest del 8 de maig)

From the Middle Age until XVIII Century, the Catalan nation, the Catalan Countries, had its own independent political personality. As musician Pau Casals recalled in a New York UN speech in 1971, Catalonia, the birthplace of European democracy, had the first Parliament, well before England. At the beginning of the Modern Age, the Catalan nation despite attempts of the imperialist Spanish monarchs, maintained its rule until, by force of arms, Spanish king, only with the help of the French monarch, conquered València in 1707, the Principality of Catalonia and Mallorca in 1714 in 1715, abolished our institutions of government and parliamentary and tried to remove our language and our personality by assimilating us and turn us into Spanish subjects.

Since then the Catalan nation has suffered painful moments, wars, dictatorship and repression. In 1978 a constitution wrote under the the watchful gaze of the powers that be did not allow our national recovery. Some saw a mirage, the possibility of a bilateral relationship, a confederation of states as existing before the eighteenth century. However, harsh reality prevailed for the last thirty years. Our rights will never be recognized in Spain.

Today Catalans living in Catalonia or abroad, are here in Geneva to symbolically claim before the UN Human Rights Council, what we officially did Wednesday: the exercise of our inalienable self-determination right. In recent months, without any government support, without resources, nearly half a million Catalans -and more to come in the following months-, have already expressed their desire that the Principality becomes a sovereign independent state and integrated within the European Union. And we also want to have a full seat within the United Nations Organization.

Catalans are tired of living in a state that does not respect our rights. And in the case of the Principality, currently is under discussion whether sovereignty, for matters that affect us as citizens, lies in the whole Spanish citizens or in Catalan citizens.

Spain’s stand, expressed by the Constitutional Court, declaring itself competent to judge what affects us, has made it very clear. In Spain, the Catalan nation can not be anything but a set of regions without capacity for policy decisions. Things have never been so clear before.

We, some disillusioned, others always convinced, do not believe in any Statute (Home rule) or in any agreement with Spain, because we want to have our own Catalan Constitution, and therefore, we expect sooner than later Spanish Courts will declare Catalonia as a mere region with no bilateral powers. This declaration will end this pathetic comedy and will prove crystal-clear, that those who still favor Catalonia inclusion into Spain, and act to make it possible, lie. Today only fools believe that a Catalan nation, exercising its historic rights, has a place in Spain.

Standing here, in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, we want to show the World that in Catalonia there is a conflict, a peaceful, a political one . Catalans have the right to self-determination. And We intend to exercise it. We want to have the opportunity to decide our collective future. We want to vote.

We plainly reject those candidates that do not explicitly support the independence of our nation. We want our parliamentary representatives to be truly nationalist, that is committed to achieving our own state. A Catalan State. A Catalan Republic.

We do not want candidates for the upcoming elections, that do not say clearly that they will vote for a Declaration of Independence once elected, in order to achieve for Catalans the same rights and duties that enjoy the rest of EU citizens.

With enthusiasm, strength and courage, we say loud and clear that

“We are a nation, we want to exercise self-determination, we want to vote!

We want our own State.

Long live to a Free Catalonia!

Note: This Declaration will be read by a Reagrupament member, today in U.N HQ in Geneva.

Author : daguer
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