Getty Mariano Rajoy will call on US President Donald Trump for support to oppose the referendum

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The president is hoping to drum up international support as tensions grow between Spanish and Catalan authorities over the planned October 1 ballot. Spain’s central government says the planned referendum violates Spain’s constitution, and the Constitutional Court has ordered it suspended while it studies its legality. Mr Rajoy will visit the White House this Tuesday for the second time. But as widespread unrest takes hold in his home country over the referendum, he aims to head to Washington this Monday and return to Spain by Wednesday.

The two leaders are set to meet over a working lunch and will hold a joint press conference in the Rose garden of The White House. It will be in direct contrast to the formal meeting that he had with then president of the country, Barack Obama in 2014, when they met for a formal meeting in the Oval office. Thousands of Catalan separatists are rallying in public squares in Barcelona today and other towns in support of a disputed referendum on independence of the north-eastern region from Spain. Catalonia represents a fifth of Spain’s 1.1 trillion-euro (£970 billion) economy and enjoys wide self-government. The region has around 5.5 million eligible voters, and polls consistently show the region’s inhabitants favour a referendum but are roughly evenly divided over independence from Spain.

getty Thousands of Catalan separatists are rallying in public squares in Barcelona

However, Mr Rajos, the leader of the Popular Party, hopes to rally support from America over the issue of Catalonia. The US president appears to be putting precedence on his meeting with Mr Rajoy. Their meeting will take place a year since Mr Trump took office. In addition, Mr Rajoy will not stay in a hotel, he has accepted Mr Trump's invitation to stay at the Blair House with his delegation. The building in front of the White House is used as an official residence for distinguished guests of the American president.

Getty There is support for the disputed referendum on independence of the northeastern region from Spain

Catalonia's Human Castles in pictures Wed, July 5, 2017 The 'Castellers' who build the human towers with precise techniques compete in groups, know as 'colles', at local festivals with aim to build the highest and most complex human tower. The Catalan tradition is believed to have originated from human towers built at the end of the 18th century by dance groups and is part of the Catalan culture. Play slideshow Getty Images 1 of 12 Members of the colla 'Xiquets de Hanghzou' celebrate after building a human tower during the 26th Tarragona Competition on October 1, 2016 in Tarragona, Spain.