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Catalonia To Hold Referendum In October On Leaving Spain

The Spanish government, however, said the vote will not happen "because it is illegal." The region held a largely symbolic independence vote in 2014, which passed overwhelmingly, but turnout was low.
President of the Catalan regional government Carles Puigdemont (center) announced a referendum for independence from Spain on Friday in Barcelona.

Catalonia will hold a referendum on October 1 on whether to leave Spain, the head of the region announced Friday.

"The question will be: 'Do you want Catalonia to become an independent state in the form of a republic'," said Carles Puigdemont, the head of the regional government, Reuters reports.

But the

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