Madrid newspaper editor threatens the Catalans

Pedro J. Ramírez, editor of the "El Mundo" Madrid-based newspaper, has issued a scarcely veiled threat to the Catalans via twitter.

"81% of EM.es voters support the army having deposed the Islamists [in Egypt]. The key: ballot boxes don't allow just anything. Is that clear?"

The Catalan digital newspaper Vilaweb has reported the tweet. It also reminded readers that shortly after the massive September 11 2012 demonstration organised by the Assemblea Nacional Catalana, which brought together 1·5 million people in the streets of Barcelona, Ramírez wrote an editorial calling for a change in the penal code to allow the spanish authorities to amend the Penal Code so that President Mas could be imprisoned if he called a referenduim on independence.

Another Catalan digital newspaper, Nació Digital, has also added its horrified comment on the tweet.

His resolute opposition to Catalonia's independence process, and his lack of respect for ther will of the Catalan people, were well displayed on the night of the last election to the Parliament of Catalonia, where the newspaper's efforts to interfere in the campaign by releasing trumped-up police reports falsely accusing Catalan leaders of corruption were reflected in his tweet saying that the El Mundo newsroom celebrated the results - the ruling coalition lost 90,000 votes - as if it were their own victory.