Madrid overrides Catalan autonomy
Mariano Rajoy: Spain’s prime minister threatening to trigger Article 155 of constitution to suspend autonomy, impose direct rule and call new regional elections
Carles Puigdemont: Catalan president signed declaration of independence on Oct 10, but halted implementation to allow negotiations to take place
Madrid has taken control of Catalan public finances and deployed thousands of extra security forces.
Hundreds of companies – including region’s two largest banks, Sabadell and CaixaBank – have moved headquarters out of Catalonia.
Spain passed decree on Oct 6 to make moving official base easier
Spain’s High Court has ordered leaders of two Catalan separatist organisations to be detained without bail on suspicion of sedition
Jordi Sànchez (1), head of Catalan National Assembly (ANC), and Jordi
Cuixart (2), head of Omnium Cultural, played leading role in disputed independence referendum of Oct 1
High Court has also banned Catalan police chief,
Josep Lluís Trapero, from leaving Spain and seized his passport pending investigation for sedition Trapero is accused of failing to order Catalan police – Mossos d’Esquadra – to help Spain’s Guardia Civil force tackle thousands of pro-independence protesters in Barcelona