Irene Lozano compares the 1-O vote with rape in Sky News interview

The battle for the narrative over what happened in Catalonia on 1 October 2017 is also being fought at the international level. The Spanish government wishes to counteract the pro-independence campaign with increased presence in the media. To this end, the secretary of state of España Global, Irene Lozano, gave an interview on Wednesday afternoon for the "World View" programme of the British Sky News channel in which she compared voting in the 1 October referendum with rape. 

Lozano answered the journalist's questions on the 1-O referendum and the possible sentences the accused faced for having organised it. The secretary of state then explained that:

"Sex is not forbidden, like voting is not forbidden, but you cannot do it forcefully. You have to have the permission to do it because, otherwise, it's rape."

Irene Lozano during the interview on Sky News 

The surprised journalist asked her if he had heard her correctly, and the secretary of state of the ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated her argument: 

Journalist: "I'm sorry; are you comparing holding a referendum against the wishes of central government to rape?"

Irene Lozano: "Sex is okay, but if you don't have permission, it becomes rape. This is what I said. So, voting is okay, but if you don't have permission, it becomes a criminal offence in Spain."

Irene Lozano had already talked about pro-independence leaders in a BBC interview as if they had all been condemned, a mistake which the Government Attorney herself apologised for during Wednesday's sitting of the trial. In that interview, a few weeks ago, the secretary of state of España Global assumed that they had all committed the crimes of which they stand accused.

Meanwhile, her superior, Minister Josep Borrell, complained about the influence of the pro-independence movement on the international image of Spain after some editorials in the foreign press on the day after the first sitting of the trial. Borrell spoke of an "ignominious campaign" of pro-independence Catalans to spread a "second black legend" about Spain throughout the world.