The Secretary-General of Spanish union Manos Limpias ("Clean Hands"), Miguel Bernad, has kindly informed this newspaper that he has moles inside the main Catalan grassroots organisations that support the right to self-determination and independence. And inside some political parties, too. His confession --it seems the Catalan process is prone to confessions-- is as credible as it is surreal. It is credible because it must be relatively easy to become an active member of the ANC or Òmnium1, where everyone is welcome. You know how it goes: by staying together, we'll manage everything. Besides, both organisations --particularly the ANC-- have grown exponentially in a short time. Therefore, it must be easy for Manos Limpias' little snitches --whose intentions aren't exactly immaculate, by the way-- to sneak inside. However, I don't think they will manage to taint the narrative and actions of these associations to any significant extent, as the two groups goals' are transparent, peaceful and democratic. Nor do I believe that they will be able to disclose any big secrets; after all, everything the ANC and Òmnium do and work for is about the same thing: we want to vote.
There is something absurd, perhaps even ludicrous, about the statement by the gentleman of Manos Limpias: the fact that he publicly admits their boycotting strategy. It is as if the intelligence service of nation released the names of the agents it has in every country. What's the point of showing your cards? I can't imagine Spain's CNI2 owning up to their movements in Catalonia which, naturally, must be very real, even if President Mas chooses not to make a big deal of it. And rightly so. Anyway, this whole Manos Limpias affair strikes me as ... farcical? Both doing it and talking about it. If it weren't so pitiful, it would be comical.
