Far right threatens Puigdemont with prison with rare song

Vox party gathers over 10,000 in event asking for suspension of Catalonia's self-rule and illegalization of pro-independence parties

Vox's official Rocío Monasterio in a party event in Madrid on October 6, 2019 (Vox)
Vox's official Rocío Monasterio in a party event in Madrid on October 6, 2019 (Vox) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

October 6, 2019 07:09 PM

Spanish far-right Vox party has threatened Catalonia's former president Carles Puigdemont with imprisonment with a rare song in a pre-election event attended by over 10,000 people in Madrid.

"Puigdemont, you are going to be jailed," was the lyrics of a song heard in the venue to introduce one of the speakers, Rocío Monasterio, MP for Vox in the Madrid region assembly.

The politician herself hummed the song and made some gesture to encourage the audience to sing it.

The song also included a reference to Josep Lluís Trapero, the Catalan police chief during the 2017 referendum, whose trial on rebellion charges will start on January 20, 2020: "Trapero will be your partner [in prison]."

Oriol Junqueras, leader of Esquerra party and in provisional detention for two years, was also mocked in the song.

The song can be heard in minute 16:30 of this video: 

Puigdemont's extradition attempts

Puigdemont went in exile in autumn 2017 after Catalonia's declaration of independence and is currently residing in Belgium – Spain has been unable to extradite him after two failed attempts, but a third one might come after the upcoming verdict on the jailed leaders.

Vox's leader, Santiago Abascal, criticized Europe's judiciary for not having agreed to extradite the Catalan former chief. "We have to put up with Europe's disgrace with Puigdemont wandering wherever he wants."

Abascal also urged for the detention of the current president, Quim Torra, and the immediate suspension of Catalonia's self-rule.

For him, there is an "ongoing coup d'etat" and the pro-independence parties should be illegalized, while the other Spanish parties are "doing nothing."