Mujica Stands in Solidarity With Catalan Political Prisoners

Uruguay's ex-President of Uruguay Jose Mujica expressed his solidarity with the Catalan pro-independence activists who are imprisoned in Barcelona, Spain.

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During a virtual meeting with the The Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) leader Oriol Junqueras, Mujica sent his solidarity to all imprisoned politicians and affirmed his support for the Catalans to negotiate a political solution to the conflict with the Spanish State.

At this meeting, Uruguay's former president also told the Catalans that he is "very close to all those who are in jail for political reasons.”

Junqueras thanked his solidarity and recalled that the ERC has always viewed "with sympathy the causes for justice and freedom in Latin America."

Besides stressing that political dialogue is the only way out when "times are tough," the Uruguayan leader offered his willingness to help in the dialogue between the Catalan and Spanish governments.

In 2017, Catalan politicians organized a referendum in favor of the independence of their country from Spain. While the population turned out en masse to vote in favor of independence, the Spanish authorities rejected the electoral process and its results.

As a result, nine Catalan leaders were tried and sentenced to 13 to 9 years in prison for sedition, among other charges.