Catalonia parliament votes for independence from Spain in showdown with Madrid

Catalonia's regional parliament vote for independence from Spain Friday, setting up a showdown with the central government in Madrid that was poised to take direct control of the restive northeastern region.

Separatist lawmakers erupted in applause as the vote was approved with 70 votes in favor of independence, 10 against and 2 blank ballots in the regional parliament in Barcelona. Most opposition lawmakers had left the chamber in protest moments before the vote.

The motion calls for beginning an independence process that includes drafting Catalonia’s new top laws and opening negotiations “on equal footing” with Spanish authorities to establish cooperation.

In reaction, the Senate in Madrid was preparing to vote Friday to invoke constitutional powers to end Catalonia's autonomous powers and take direct control of the region.

The dramatic moves come one week after Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy first set the constitutional takeover in motion that would lead to the firing of Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont and his ministers.

The Spanish leader called the events in Catalonia “a clear violation of the laws, of democracy, of the rights of all, and that has consequences.”

Contributing: Associated Press