A New Shootout Between Clans in Badalona Puts Govern Against the Ropes

The Metropolitan Area of Barcelona Has Once Again Been the Scene of a Shootout Between Clans This Friday Morning. Two Gypsy Clans Have Engaged in a Shootout in the Sant Roque Neighborhood of Badalona. The Mossos d'Esquadra Have Deployed a Large Operation to Restore Peace and Clarify the Facts.

The Two Most Dangerous Clans in the Area, the Peludos and the Baltasares, Were Involved in the Conflict. The Perpetrators Reportedly Emptied at Least Two Magazines, Firing Up to Twenty Shots Into the Air. The Residents Themselves Alerted the Police Due to the Gunfire.

The Incident Occurs Shortly After the Spectacular Shootout That Took Place in the Mina Neighborhood. There Is Also a Rise in Homicides and Violence Related to Organized Crime. Interior Is Encountering Initial Difficulties in Restoring Order in Catalonia.

Situation Out of Control

After Several Shootouts and the Wave of Homicides, Opposition Parties Conveyed Their Concern to the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. There Were Interpellations to the Govern in the Control Session and in the Interior and Public Safety Commission. Núria Parlon and Josep Lluís Trapero Appeared at the Request of the PP to Provide Explanations.

In That Appearance, the Top Security Officials in Catalonia Acknowledged That Eliminating Criminal Groups in La Mina Will Take Time. They Also Warned That Police Action Is Not Enough and Must Be Accompanied by Social Policies in the Neighborhood. 

"We Seek to Dismantle the Criminal Groups Settled in the Neighborhood and Take Them Out of Circulation for as Long as Possible. But That Won't Be Three or Four Months; It's Going to Be Long-Term," Stated Trapero.

"Detaining Those Who Disturb the Peace Is Not Resolved Overnight. It Requires the Necessary Time to Charge Them With Crimes and Have Them Tried," Added the Counselor.

However, Opposition Groups Criticized the "Chaos" in the Management of Security in Catalonia. They Reproached Parlon for Her "Triumphalism" in Saying That the Area Was Pacified Two Weeks Later. Episodes Like This Morning's Demonstrate That the Situation in Catalonia Is Out of Control and Put the Govern Against the Ropes.

Interior, Against the Clock

This New Shootout Shows That Salvador Illa's Will to Restore Order in Catalonia in Record Time Won't Be So Easy. Interpellated in Parliamentary Series, He Has Repeatedly Reiterated His Commitment to Security and Has Adopted the Motto "Whoever Does It Pays for It." 

Illa Arrived at the Generalitat With Order and Security as One of the Pillars of His Mandate. His Intention Was to Apply the Firm Hand That Was Lacking in the Previous Mandate, Where ERC's Goodwill Prevailed. But Also to Block "Alarmist" Discourses From PP and Vox.

In His First Months as President, He Has Announced Several Shock Plans Against Knives, Organized Crime, and Repeat Offenders. But Interior Is Encountering Initial Difficulties in Facing It.

The Department Led by Núria Parlon Is Fighting a Race Against Time. The Proposed Measures Need Time and This Is Precisely What Catalonia Has, Due to the Severe Situation It Has Been Dragging for Years. If PSC Is Not Able to Impose a Firm Hand, Their Plans Risk Foundering.