On Friday, Spain’s central authorities announced they have increased their control over Catalonia’s regional spending to make sure that no funds are diverted to paying for the independence referendum

The prosperous Catalonia region generates a fifth of the country’s 1.1-trillion euro economy. Catalonia’s regional police force is under orders to arrest the mayors if they refuse to appear for questioning in an investigation into the vote, which Spain’s constitutional court has suspended, State Prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza’s office said. In the letter, President Carles Puigdemont and Barcelona mayor Ada Colau also say that Spain has launched “an offensive of repression without precedent.”

The letter says a copy is being sent to King Felipe VI.
More than 700 Catalan mayors meet in Barcelona with Catalan President Carles Puigdemont to confirm their support for the October 1 independence referendum. Earlier this week, Spanish prosecutors warned that officials participating in this vote could be criminally charged.