Catalan leader threatens to declare independence if no talks are held

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont clarified Thursday that independence had not been declared, but threatened to do so if the Spanish central government triggers Article 155 of Constitution to suspend the autonomy of the region and impose direct rule.

"If the central government persists in preventing dialogue and continuing repression, Catalonia's parliament could proceed, if it considers it timely, to vote for a formal declaration of independence that it didn't vote for on October 10," Puigdemont wrote in a letter to Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Madrid had given Puigdemont a three-day grace period, which expired on Thursday at 10 a.m. local time, to abandon his secession efforts after failing on Monday to clarify whether or not he had declared independence last week.

(CGTN)