Archidona (Spain) (AFP) - He lives far away, but Jose Jimenez is convinced that Catalonia's independence referendum "won't result in anything," one of many Spaniards in the sprawling southern Andalusia region following the separatist crisis with concern.

Andalusia is hundreds of kilometres away from the northeastern region, whose separatist executive is preparing to hold the referendum on October 1 that Madrid has banned and wants to stop at all costs, but they are close both on a human and economic level.
Spaniards in the poorer Andalusia migrated massively to Catalonia in the 1950s, 60s and 70s in search of a better life.
There are now close to 600,000 Andalusians in Catalonia.

- 'Talk of the town' -

The current crisis "is the talk of the town in cafes, at work," says Juan Antonio Palmero, director of a bank branch in Archidona, a village in Andalusia of whitewashed houses and vast olive groves.
And the economic consequences of Catalonia splitting from Spain is a chief concern.
"It wouldn't be beneficial at all, for business in general," says Leocadio Corbacho, a 71-year-old who sells 25 percent of his prized possession -- jamon (Spanish dry-cured ham) -- in Catalonia.
"Here there's a lot of feelings of rejection" of the independence drive, agrees Jesus Catena, a furniture maker in Lucena, some 60 kilometres (40 miles) from Archidona.

Andalusia is Spain's most populated region, with 8.3 million inhabitants in 2016, around 800,000 more than Catalonia.
It depends on tourism and agriculture, but has the second lowest income per capita among the 17 Spanish regions, while Catalonia is in fourth position.

One of the arguments used by Catalan separatists is that their region pays more in taxes than it receives in investments and transfers from Madrid -- or simply put that "Spain robs us."
Andalusians, whose poorer region has received more than it pays in taxes and has also benefited from European aid, aren't happy about this argument.
"If you take this to the max, then Germany would say it needs to leave the EU, and in Catalonia, Barcelona could say it pays more," says businessman Jose Miguel Trujillo.
Jean-Baptiste Harguindeguy of the Pablo de Olavide University in southern Seville says this argument has generated "much frustration" in Andalusia.
"It's the region that most needs Catalan money," he explains.

- 'Don't know what they want' -

On the streets, feelings about the Catalan bid to hold a referendum vary from indifference, contempt to defiance... and even derision.
In a bar in Antequera in the centre of Andalusia, a group of friends make fun of Catalan President Carles Puigdemont's mop of hair.
And in Iznajar some 50 kilometres away, retiree Diego Ortiz defiantly tells Catalans to vote "whatever they want."
"And when they find themselves without a job, then they should find a life. These kids don't know what they want."
Jimenez, another retiree sitting on a bench at the entrance of a medical centre, believes this is all about "minor politicians who want to be the masters" of Catalonia.

Mayors too have a say in the matter, given they know some of their Catalan counterparts well.

"Ties at an institutional and personal level are very good," says Lope Ruiz, mayor of Iznajar.
But he recognises there is a problem with the perception of Catalans by Andalusians and vice-versa.
"We Andalusians are lazy, party-loving and we don't work, the Catalans are stingy and closed... and I think it's not true," he says.
"In both places we are people who get up at seven in the morning, who go to work and want our towns and families to develop and get wealthy."
He points out that Jose Montilla, Catalan president from 2006 to 2010, was born in 1955 near Iznajar.
"If someone who was born in one of the most remote hamlets of this municipality rose to become president of Catalonia, then we're not so different."

Oh...... really?

afonjas always playing opposition to biafra.

frankdoz23:
afonjas always playing opposition to biafra.

Don't mind them...tomorrow they will say " are we opposing your Biafraa? Who is holding you from seceding?" Yet they go online searching for news that may directly or indirectly put a bad light on Biafraa agitation. Hahaha...Afonjas are indeed confused and two-faced.

Nothing new. Andalusia should first look at themselves and tell themselves the truth.

If you can't make it on your own, if you are too scared to stand alone, then it means you are parasitic, and you can't blame ambitious Catalonians from wanting an independent nation of their own.

Catalonia has no mineral resources more than Andalusia, all they have, they built themselves, you can't force them to share same country with you so that they can continue to share their hard work gotten wealth with you. They were not born with two heads, rather than get angry with them for wanting to get their own independent nation, get angry with yourself for failing to make use of your own God given talents, for being docile, lazy and free loader.

Catalonia owes you nothing and you would be demonic to want to force them to co exist with you against their own wish.

Catalonia wasn't always this wealthy, they had already been pushing for independence before they became this successful, ambitious people as they are, would always crave for a niche and space for themselves, they would always want to stand out and dazzle, because they believe in themselves.

Lazy people would always want the crowd, where their laziness would be masked by the laziness of others, they don't want to stand alone and forced to push for success or be seen as a sole failure.
This is why Catalonia is pushing for independence, while Andalusia want Spain to continue being intact.

Even Basque is not so wealthy, yet they want independence, they fancy their chances of becoming a progressive nation if left alone, and they are not afraid of failing, knowing that they can always keep trying until they get it right, they are not trying like Andalusia to blackmail Catalonia into sharing a parasitic union with them.

Andalusia is not only poor in resources, they are poor in mindset.

I wish Catalonia and Basque success in their push for self determination, unity by force is the forte of parasites and not progressives.

libertyhope2017:


Don't mind them...tomorrow they will say " are we opposing your Biafraa? Who is holding you from seceding?" Hahaha...Afonjas are indeed confused and two-faced

just yesterday i was discussing with a yoruba muslim(afonja) from ogbomosho concentrated camp weeping profusely, he said, ever since the rise of biafra and nnamdi kanu, our monumental amala/ewedu has gone sour in my mouth.

pazienza:
Nothing new. Andalusia should first look at themselves and tell themselves the truth.

If you can't make it on your own, if you are too scared to stand alone, then it means you are parasitic, and you can't blame ambitious Catalonians from wanting an independent nation of their own.

Catalonia has no mineral resources more than Andalusia, all they have, they built themselves, you can't force them to share same country with you so that they can continue to share their hard work gotten wealth with you. They were not born with two heads, rather than get angry with them for wanting to get their own independent nation, get angry with yourself for failing to make use of your own God given talents, for being docile, lazy and free loader.

Catalonia owes you nothing and you would be demonic to want to force them to co exist with you against their own wish.

Catalonia wasn't always this wealthy, they had already been pushing for independence before they became this successful, ambitious people as they are, would always crave for a niche and space for themselves, they would always want to stand out and dazzle, because they believe in themselves.

Lazy people would always want the crowd, where their laziness would be masked by the laziness of others, they don't want to stand alone and forced to push for success or be seen as a sole failure.
This is why Catalonia is pushing for independence, while Andalusia want Spain to continue being intact.

Even Basque is not so wealthy, yet they want independence, they fancy their chances of becoming a progressive nation if left alone, and they are not afraid of failing, knowing that they can always keep trying until they get it right.

Andalusia is not only poor in resources, they are poor in mind.

I wish Catalonia and Basque success in their push for self determination, unity by force is the forte of parasites and not progressives.

lols carry your frustration go spain na
Abi u no sabi road to UN headquarter in new york

frankdoz23:
just yesterday i was discussing with a yoruba muslim(afonja) from ogbomosho concentrated camp weeping profusely, he said, ever since the rise of biafra and nnamdi kanu, our monumental amala/ewedu has gone sour in my mouth.

don't worry Biafra will be achieved after second coming of Jesus

frankdoz23:
just yesterday i was discussing with a yoruba muslim(afonja) from ogbomosho concentrated camp weeping profusely, he said, ever since the rise of biafra and nnamdi kanu, our monumental amala/ewedu has gone sour in my mouth.

Hahaha...

Spain operate a parliamentary system of government that allows the regional fiscal autonomy, paying tax to the central government. A regional police institution (state police) added to this.

Today, the Catalonia's despite all these, want independence from Spain. There is no system of government that is good or bad. Humans will always complain and give reasons why there should be change in the way things are done. Most times, it is championed by greed and insincerity on all sides.

At this rate, if people continue to clamor for nationhood, we will have an over bloated United Nations.
Eventually, more enmity and hostility will be generated.

Before civilization came, people warred and settled dispute peacefully among each other. Today, with all the human and technological advancement made by man, we have become more agitated and less at peace with ourselves.

persius555:
Spain operate a parliamentary system of government that allows the regional fiscal autonomy, paying tax to the central government. A regional police institution (state police) added to this.

Today, the Catalonia's despite all these, want independence from Spain. There is no system of government that is good or bad. Humans will always complain and give reasons why there should be change in the way things are done. Most times, it is championed by greed and insincerity on all sides.

At this rate, if people continue to clamor for nationhood, we will have an over bloated United Nations.
Eventually, more enmity and hostility will be generated.

Before civilization came, people warred and settled dispute peacefully among each other. Today, with all the human and technological advancement made by man, we have become more agitated and less at peace with ourselves.

Before Civilization, people lived in clans and were comfortable that way.

Unity cannot be by force. How can someone wanting to stay on his own without you be interpreted as selfishness by you? What sort of twisted mindset is that.

The world can break into as many countries as it can until everyone is satisfied. It's as simple as that. Unity can never be by force. If San Marino a nation of just under 40,000 people can stand alone as a sovereign nation, Catalonia of more than 5million people, deserve their sovereignty, if they so desire.