Government wasn't prepared to implement referendum result in a 'repression scenario', says exiled minister

The former Catalan government was not prepared "enough" to implement the results of a 'yes' victory in "a repression scenario," said former health minister Toni Comín, currently living on exile in Belgium.

In an exclusive interview with the Catalan News Agency, Comín said the executive had a "thorough strategy" to implement a Catalan Republic in a scenario of negotiation or agreement with the Spanish government.

But on October 1 last year, the day of the independence referendum, they realized that that scenario was not going to happen.

"That day I realized the degree of repression by the Spanish state would go well beyond the limits of the rule of law," Comín explained.

The former Health minister, close ally of former leader Carles Puigdemont, admitted that they thought Spain would not want to "destroy its international reputation as a democratic state."

"It became clear that they didn't care about their international reputation," Comín said, adding that the Spanish government "violated civil rights shamelessly."

Reviewing the events from last October, Comín admits that it was a mistake not to declare independence immediately after the referendum, on October 10, as initially planned.

On that day, former president Carles Puigdemont "suspended" the declaration independence hoping that someone would engage in negotiations with his government –or at least push Madrid to sit around the negotiation table. But no one did, at least not officially.