Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was able to claim victory in the country's general election on Sunday but will face a struggle to build a governing coalition as his conservative Popular Party (PP) was unable to gain the needed 176-seat majority in Parliament.
Two week ago Barcelona authorities police estimated that nearly 1.4 million Catalans participated in a demonstration voicing their desire to sucede form Spain.
Ada Colau, who rose to political prominence as part of Spain's "indignados" protest movement, on Sunday was elected mayor of Barcelona, the Wall Street Journal reported. Her leftist coalition was one of several non-traditional parties able to claim triumphs in the country's municipal and regional elections.
All over the Spain voters are participating in regional as well as municipal elections that have a good chance of shaking up the power of the main two main parties.
Catalans swarmed the poll for an unofficial vote on their independence from Spain Catalans have long had a cultural grievance with the parent country of Spain, but recent economic woes spurred the informal referendum to seek independence which took place Sunday.
Following a meeting between the Spanish prime minister and the wife of imprisoned opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Maduro has called into question Spain's relationship with Venezuela.
Spanish constitutional court suspends Catalonia's independence vote The Spanish Constitutional Court sided with the federal government in Madrid, halting all campaigning and other preparations for the upcoming vote on Catalonia's independence.
