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The Spanish minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, says comments by Juan Carlos Gafo were “intolerable” and “absolutely inconsistent” with the organisation which aims to promote the Spanish image abroad. The now sacked Deputy Director said on Twitter: “F*** Catalans. They do not deserve anything at all. His words caused outcry in Catalonia, so he later apologized saying he has “nothing against Catalonia or Catalans”. He said he got “mad at hearing the Spanish national anthem booed” during the Barcelona 2013 FINA Championship.

The Catalan violoncello player and composer Pau Casals was asked in 1971 to create an anthem for the United Nations by the former Secretary General. However, after Pau Casals death and the change of UN Secretary General, the anthem was never played again. The Spanish Parliament’s Culture Commission came to an unanimous motion to ask the Spanish Government to push for the restoration of the United Nations official anthem.

Marta Casals asks the Spanish Government to ask the UN to recuperate the anthem that 40 years ago Pau Casals especially composed. The anthem was used in the seventies, under U Thant’s term, and then forgot. The famous cellist wrote a song for peace.