The Minister for Foreign Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency, Alfred Bosch, said that during his official trip to the United States he has noted “a great deal of sensitivity to what’s happening in Catalonia”. Speaking in front of the Capitol Building, the home of the United States Congress, Bosch described the United States as “a leader in the fight for civil rights”. In statements to the media, Bosch reiterated that the political conflict in Catalonia “also concerns the US because the fight for fundamental rights is a universal one”.
During his appearance before the media, the foreign minister said: “In the birthplace of modern democracy, dialogue is seen as a fundamental tool for solving political problems.” Bosch stressed that “citizens’ rights are unquestionable” in the United States, and that the fight for civil rights is regarded as being “of the utmost importance”. “When people here understand that rights are being violated and injustices are being committed in the political or judicial system, they’re extremely sensitive to these issues,” he said, emphasising his satisfaction at the “receptiveness we’ve found in the United States”.
During his official visit, the foreign minister has met with various US political figures to talk to them about the situation of the political prisoners (sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison) and exiles. He has also been critical of the ruling issued by the Spanish Supreme Court, which has drawn criticism from various international organisations, including the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the International Court of Justice, and Amnesty International. Apart from political figures, Bosch has also met with human rights actors, with whom he discussed the current political situation in Catalonia over lunch.
In the academic sphere, on Wednesday the minister gave a lecture at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of Johns Hopkins University. In his lecture, “Catalonia and the Democratic Values of Europe”, Bosch said that the American commitment to defending civil rights was an inspiration and stressed that for Catalonia, the only possible way forward is a European way, which means “democracy and dialogue”.
On Thursday, Bosch gave another lecture, “Catalonia, an Urgent Call for Dialogue”, at the Center for International Studies of Georgetown University (Washington). The foreign minister once again stressed that the “the violation of fundamental rights in the Spanish state also directly concerns the United States”.
In Washington DC, the minister also talked to various US media outlets, including The Washington Post, Politico, Axios and Foreign Policy magazine. Finally, Bosch met with the Catalan community in Washington DC and thanked them for their tireless efforts to explain Catalonia to the world.