Last december the 13th was a big milestone in the history of Catalonia, more than 700000 people in 170 towns across the country where called to vote, and they did, the yes won overwhelmingly, 96% of the votes and with an excellent 28% turnout for a popular initiative with no budget and on a rainy day (you have to be Catalan to understand how hard it is to get people out of home when it rains, no matter what’s at stake) an army of volunteers acomplished the same participation that the government had for the last european elections.

Now the second round of referendums is going to take place this weekend in 79 towns. 300000 people will have the right to vote and and this time many areas with a big proportion of Catalans with a Spanish background, the Spanish immigration from the 60s and 70s, their children and grandchildren, will have the right to vote. The experience of the organizers of the first round has been used and things will run smoothly and will be better organized.

I think it is of the utmost importance that these areas also have the right to cast their vote since they we’ll need everyone’s opinion and also I believe we’ll be surprised with the results since even if many of them feel emotionally attached to Spain to various degrees they also know what is good of Catalonia is good for them, and independence will bring an improvement of their quality of life, especially to those areas, where there’s a high concentration of working and middle low classes since they will be the most benefited from the improvements in public infrastructures and services that independence will bring. I’m sure this weekend Catalonia will give another lesson on the exercise of democracy.