Catalan government greenlights new delegation in Colombia

The Catalan government approved on Tuesday the opening of a new delegation office in Colombia.

This office, which has the aim of strengthening Catalonia's presence abroad as well as its ties with foreign countries, is meant to act as a gateway to other South American countries, such as Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina.

It's planned that the office will be open by the end of this year.

Currently, the Catalan executive already has an office in Brazil, Mexico, and one in Argentina working in conjunction with Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chile, as well as 17 other places across the globe.

With the opening of this new office, the cabinet "reinforces its presence to cover 100% of the American continent," Patrícia Plaja, the government's spokesperson, said during a press conference after the weekly meeting.

All procedures have been completed, "and the process to appoint a new delegate has already started," Plaja added.

"From today, the Catalan government has more delegations than ever, 21 in total, reaching 70 countries," she said. Last year, in 2022, the executive opened six new offices worldwide.

The Catalan exterior ministry considers Colombia a "priority" regarding the cooperation policies towards development.

Foreign action plan

Catalan delegation offices, which are part of Catalonia's foreign action plan, have been a source of controversy as some believe only Spain should have the authority to implement such programs. Yet, the Catalan government insists they have a right to have them – other Spanish territories do – and keep on expanding their network.

Most of the offices were forced to close when the Spanish government imposed direct rule in Catalonia by invoking Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution following the failed 2017 independence bid.

The Catalan government began to reopen some of these offices in 2018 when direct rule was lifted, but not without objection from the Spanish authorities that argue Catalonia is overstepping its role as a political entity within Spain.