This Sunday, the Catalan village of Vilada has constituted itself as a Local Council for the Republic. The small municipality in Berguedà county, close to the Pyrenees, is the sixteenth Catalan community to join the initiative and confirms the exponential lengthening of the list of councils that will work together with the Council for the Catalan Republic in its plan to build "bottom-up" spaces of Catalan sovereignty.
The other fifteen Local Councils created in recent days range from medium to large cities like Terrassa and Olot, to city neighbourhoods like Barcelona Sants, and smaller villages such as Vilobí d'Onyar. The full list of Local Councils for the Republic constituted at present is: Barcelona Sants, Banyoles, Olot, Berga, Terrassa, Palamós, Pineda de Mar, Cardedeu, Flix, Amer, Sant Cebrià de Vallalta, Cornellà del Terri, Vilobí d'Onyar, Arenys de Munt and Ponts. More are expected in the weeks ahead.
The Council for the Republic, the Belgium-based body created by the exiled Catalan leaders in association with pro-independence political parties and civil groups, formally recognized Local Councils yesterday after approving a Framework Document to foster these new institutions, as well as regulate and unify their functions and the criteria of constitution.
In a press statement, the Council explained that the new Local Council structure will make it possible to "make progress in a structure of republican power rooted in the territory and in the power of the people."
Translation:
"This morning, the Local Council for the Republic of #Vilada has been constituted. From the municipalities, @ConsellxRep grows to continue working for independence." — Council for the Catalan Republic.