Operation Catalonia Sparks an Exchange of Reproaches Among ERC, Junts, and CUP

María Dolores de Cospedal and Alicia Sánchez-Camacho intervened this Monday in the Congress of Deputies' commission on Operation Catalonia. The former secretary-general of the PP and her lieutenant in Catalonia were active participants in this operation to dismantle the independence movement through dirty war tactics.

The same day they appeared in Congress, RAC1 revealed some audios where it is shown that they conspired against Oriol Junqueras and Artur Mas. The audios also feature Commissioner Villarejo, who was responsible for providing sensitive information about the leaders and their surroundings.

The pro-independence parties have reacted strongly to the new developments regarding Operation Catalonia. Instead of showing unity in the face of such attacks, they have used it to reignite the war among themselves. This is a show that the pro-independence movement is currently a pressure cooker and every man for himself.

Parties Use It for Their Own War

Oriol Junqueras has taken advantage of this information to victimize himself and regain some of the prestige lost by ERC in recent months. The president of Esquerra has said that his party has always been "the enemy to beat" because "when ERC is strong, the independence movement grows!" A message that seems more oriented to the current moment than to Operation Catalonia itself.

Until now, the pro-independence parties had set aside their differences when information like this emerged. But now it is a war of all against all, and the parties use it to assert themselves and, in passing, discredit others.

ERC has not been the only one to politically use this information. Junts deputy Francesc de Dalmases has lashed out at those who "sent President Mas to the dustbin of history." This is a clear reference to the CUP, which in 2016 managed to remove the then-president of the Generalitat to establish an independence government.

Dalmases has been very harsh in calling the CUP "puppets of the foulest Spanish sewers." Furthermore, he says that now it is seen "how foolish certain independence has been," to which he has asked for "an apology and some intention of amendment."

Catalans Criticize Pro-Independence Leaders

The independence movement has once again become enraged upon witnessing the lamentable spectacle offered by the pro-independence parties. They reproach them for also using Operation Catalonia as a weapon to harm the adversary.

In the case of Oriol Junqueras, they recall that, according to recent information, during the decisive days, he hid in the Montserrat monastery. This way, they question his theory that ERC was the enemy to beat. Moreover, they say that the independence movement doesn't grow when ERC is strong but rather the opposite, ERC is strong when the independence movement grows.

Francesc de Dalmases is warned that "some of us already told you not to go hand in hand with the CUP, and you kept laughing at their jokes." From the comments he receives, it seems they lump Junts, ERC, and CUP together in the betrayal of the people in the days of October 2017.

Some leaders of ERC and Junts have preferred to focus their criticism on the role of both the PP and the PSOE. But they have not fared well either. Many independence supporters remind them that it is precisely Junts and ERC who are supporting the parties of the 155.