In previous years, throngs of tourists flocked to Antoni Gaudí’s masterpiece Sagrada Família basilica in Barcelona. But with hundreds of new outbreaks of the coronavirus in the northeast region of Catalonia, Spain’s tourism industry is taking a serious hit.
Catalonia’s President Carles Puigdemont declared independence from Spain. The news, though hardly perceptible in the streets, was shouted loud and clear across social media channels with tweets reading, “Welcome to the Catalan Republic” and “Good morning Republic,” seemingly blind to the fact that hours after the proclamation, Spain revoked the region’s autonomy and imposed direct rule via a never-before-used constitutional provision known as Article 155.