09.10.2019 - 08:42
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Actualització: 09.10.2019 - 10:42
The Catalan government has appointed three new delegates in Argentina, Mexico and Tunisia, despite Spain challenging the new offices in court recently. David Poudevida, Lleïr Daban and Ahmed Benallal will be the new delegates in those countries, respectively.
Foreign action minister, Alfred Bosch, at a news conference after the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, said he will not stop his policy in spite of Spain’s efforts to close down the offices abroad. ”We will not let our future be challenged,” he said, adding that it is the government’s ”duty” to take action beyond the country’s borders and to be ”competitive” in the future.
On Monday, Bosch described the latest move launched by the Spanish foreign minister, Josep Borrell, who will stand down to become the EU’s head of diplomacy in the coming weeks, as “unacceptable.”
15 offices abroad
The three additional delegates have taken the Catalan tally of offices abroad to 15 – most of which were shut down in October 2017 after Madrid imposed direct rule in Catalonia, but which have been reopened since June 2018.
The government now has offices in Brussels (acting as the representative before the EU), France, the UK and Ireland, Germany, the US, Central Europe (based in Vienna), Italy, Portugal, the Scandinavian countries (based in Stockholm), the Baltic countries, Switzerland, the Balkans (with Zagreb as HQ) and the three new ones.
The new delegates were chosen by a “panel that makes its choices based on professional merit,” the minister explained, underlining that the best candidate was chosen for each office. But who are they?
Argentina
Graduate of the University of Barcelona in Administration and Company Management, with an Executive MBA from the IESE Business School.
He has spent 14 years as the head of communication and marketing of the Bonpreu Group, and has provided training at various universities in Barcelona. He has experience in projects relating to international markets in Asia, the USA, South America and Europe.
Mexico
Graduate of the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Political Sciences, with a Masters in Political Marketing from the Political and Social Sciences Institution and a post-grad in Psycho-creativity from UAB.
Since 2012 he has worked as a consulter for strategic communication in Mexico, as well as a university lecturer for Master’s students in Political Marketing.
Tunisia
Law Graduate of the Sidi Mohamed Ibn Abdllah University in Morocco, with a European Masters in Mediation and a post-grad in Peace in Culture and Human Rights at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
He has led immigration projects and created interculturality and diversity modules in Barcelona. He speaks Catalan, Spanish, Arabic, French and Italian.
