Spain’s leader mulls granting amnesty to thousands of Catalan separatists in order to stay in power
By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Thousands of ordinary citizens got into legal trouble for their parts in Catalonia’s illegal independence bid that brought Spain to the brink of rupture six years ago. Now they are hoping to be saved. Spain’s acting prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is negotiating with Catalan separatist parties on the possibility of issuing a sweeping amnesty for the separatists in exchange for their helping him form a new national government in Madrid. An amnesty is potentially toxic for Sánchez given its unpopularity among many Spaniards. But inconclusive elections in July left the Catalan separatists with the chance to play kingmaker.