An unexpected connection
A new revelation has revealed a surprising relationship between Catalan independence and Morocco. As reported by RAC1, the patriotic police carried out an espionage operation on high officials of Morocco suspecting a possible alliance between the Moroccan authorities and the independence movement. This investigation focused on the Moroccan consul in Barcelona, Ghoulam Maichane, and other prominent figures of the Moroccan community in Catalonia. Follow-ups were carried out from mid-2014 to 2016, although the first suspicions arose in 2013.
The role of commissioner Pedro Esteban
The operation was supervised by Commissioner Pedro Esteban, an expert of the Spanish National Police in the fight against jihadism. This investigation was authorized by the Ministry of the Interior commanded by Jorge Fernández Díaz, who feared a possible alliance between Morocco and the government of the Generalitat. Follow-ups, the recruitment of confidants and the use of reserved funds were some of the techniques used in this operation. According to RAC1, several reports were drawn up detailing the suspicions and the results of the investigation.
Research on the Moroccan Consul and the community
The documents reveal that information was collected from several meetings of the Moroccan consul with members of the Moroccan community in Barcelona. The patriotic police suspected that the pro-independence ideology was being promoted in these meetings. In addition, attention was paid to a Convergència i Unió foundation, Nous Catalans, which sought to establish links with immigrants in Catalonia. Initially, the investigation focused on a possible Catalan-Moroccan alliance to boost the independence process.
Consequences of the research
Despite the suspicions, the investigation did not lead to any concrete results. The expulsion of an alleged Moroccan spy in 2013 and the lack of tangible evidence left the patriotic police theories unfounded. Despite this, the information collected was leaked to the newspaper La Razón in 2015, which accused independence of collaborating with Islamism. This led to attempts to prosecute Nous Catalans and Convergència by the ultra union Manos Limpias.