Opinió
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Gerard Horta: Desallotjament de la UB. Violència i tabú
Gerard Horta
26.05.2013
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Dominique Searle: 'It's not just law'
Dominique Searle
26.05.2013
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Irlanda ja té el seu Arenys de Munt
Alfred Bosch
26.05.2013
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Dominique Searle: 'Yes!'
Dominique Searle
25.05.2013
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Carregats de raó, amb l'esperança que algun dia es farà justícia
Gemma Pasqual
25.05.2013
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Catalunya-Aran, independent i confederal
Marçal Girbau
24.05.2013
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El malson de retornar al passat
Maria Àngels Viladot
24.05.2013
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Bartomeu Mestre: 'Hi va el futur immediat de la Universitat de les Illes Balears'
Bartomeu Mestre
21.05.2013
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T'atreveixes a deixar WhatsApp per Hangouts?
Carles Rabadà
17.05.2013
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Ferran Suay: Matar el País Valencià
Ferran Suay
15.05.2013
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Alfred Bosch: Quan guanyem el cor dels espanyols, haurem guanyat
Alfred Bosch
12.05.2013
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Francesc Ricart: Els noms i les coses: el del català a la Franja
Francesc Ricart
11.05.2013
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President, estem preparats
Jordi Margarit
10.05.2013
Pilar Rahola
11.05.2014
What is this, Minister?
The facts... It's been years since the Jewish community in Guayaquil has been asking me to attend one of their big events. I was finally able to arrange the dates so that I had the honor of participating in Yom Hazikaron, the day of the fallen, and to be the speaker at the central event, Yom Hazmaut, Israel's independence day. It was a spectacular crowd, with more than 500 people and many Guayaquil politicians, business leaders, and journalists... As was logical, my speech focused on the problems in the Middle East, the values of freedom, the risks of Islamic radicalism, and so on. The event concluded with a youth choir performance and afterwards we had lively, relevant discussions. In the interim, there were many meetings with journalists, politicians, and even a visit to the stadium of the Ecuadorian Barcelona soccer team, thanks to the governor. Intense days that enrich one's outlook. Completely peaceful and constructive.
Completely? Well, not quite, because just as I was about to head home, they told me about the pressure the organizers were under to rescind my invitation. This is the story: as soon as they heard I was to be the speaker, Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a little call to the Israeli Ambassador in Spain. Seems that the fact that I go around the world talking about whatever I might talk about is an international hazard. Given the logical response, diplomatic-style, of butting your nose into other people's affairs, the Spanish Embassy in Ecuador also made a quick little call to the Israeli Ambassador in Quito. Same story again. And since the honorable pressure didn't seem to be having the desired effect, the Spanish Consul in Guayaquil, with the illustrious name of Sir Álvaro de Salas Giménez de Azcárate, called the Israeli Consul, and not only made him aware of his exceeding dismay, but also said he would not attend the event, who knows if because he was tired or out of fear that this speaker would pass on some Catalan virus. And that is how, despite his aristocratic absence, and the litany of diplomatic measures employed to silence me, a certain Rahola made her speech, which was greeted with overwhelming applause, and spent a pleasant evening. My success was their embarrassment.
The questions. Esteemed Minister, is this how you spend your time? Does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have blacklists of those who are not allowed to speak abroad? Is it part of your official duties to pressure groups, universities and consulates of other countries not to invite particular citizens? And I ask because it happened to me as well at a university in Chile, with the same lack of success on your part. Have you all gone so crazy with the Catalan question that you have gone to the extreme of persecuting any of us who speak abroad, even if all we're talking about is bread with tomato? What is this, a police state? Because let me remind you and your ambassadors, that your salaries come from my taxes, and I am not paying you to persecute me as if we were in the Soviet Union. It is truly surreal. So much so that in the end, you all make fools of yourselves.
Pilar Rahola is a writer, columnist, and member of Catalonia's National Transition Advisory Council. This article appeared originally in "La Vanguardia" and is translated and reproduced here with the author's permission.
Editorial
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La manera de guanyar importa
Vicent Partal
27.07.2015
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La fi de Pujol i la fi de la Catalunya autònoma
Vicent Partal
25.07.2015
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7 contra 155?
Vicent Partal
24.07.2015
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El 155 o l'evidència de la desesperació
Vicent Partal
23.07.2015
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Rajoy i els conceptes més elementals
Vicent Partal
22.07.2015
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Anem a totes
Vicent Partal
21.07.2015
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Ciutadans contra el(s) valencià(ns)
Vicent Partal
20.07.2015
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Contra la revolució
Vicent Partal
17.07.2015
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Les tres explicacions que no entendran mai
Vicent Partal
16.07.2015
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Setanta-cinc dies per a treballar tots com bojos
Vicent Partal
15.07.2015
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Bones vibracions…
Vicent Partal
14.07.2015
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Turbulències, també a Podem
Vicent Partal
13.07.2015
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Lleida és un gran exemple
Vicent Partal
10.07.2015
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I ara un parell de preguntes
Vicent Partal
09.07.2015
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Entre Irlanda i la CUP
Vicent Partal
08.07.2015
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(In)justícies
Vicent Partal
07.07.2015
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La democràcia té límits?
Vicent Partal
06.07.2015
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Persistència per a guanyar
Vicent Partal
05.07.2015
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Sumar
Vicent Partal
03.07.2015
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L’embolic d’Iceta amb el 9-N
Vicent Partal
02.07.2015
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Contra la 'llei mordassa'
Vicent Partal
01.07.2015
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Europa, en perill
Vicent Partal
30.06.2015
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A les vostres mans
Vicent Partal
29.06.2015
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La trampa
Vicent Partal
26.06.2015
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El retorn de la Generalitat
Vicent Partal
25.06.2015