Barcelona police are searching former Catalan separatist chief Carles Puigdemont after he made a dramatic return to Spain after seven years in exile regardless of dealing with excellent arrest warrants.
Catalan police arrange roadblocks inside Barcelona and on the best way out of the town as a part of Operation “Jaula”, or “Cage”, aimed toward discovering Mr Puigdemont, who was seen at the moment Drive away from the rally within the morning.
The operation reportedly ended after a number of hours, however Mr Puigdemont doesn’t seem to have been discovered.
He has lived in Brussels for a lot of the previous few years after police indicted him on fees associated to Catalonia’s failed bid for independence in 2017.
On the time, Catalonia’s pro-independence leaders, together with Puigdemont, organized a referendum that was dominated unlawful by Spain’s Constitutional Courtroom and subsequently declared the area impartial. Quickly after, Madrid imposed direct rule over the area and Mr Puigdemont fled to Belgium.
Puigdemont gave a quick speech to tons of of supporters gathered close to Catalonia’s parliament in Barcelona on Thursday morning, shortly earlier than the brand new president of the Catalan authorities is anticipated to take workplace.
He shouted “Lengthy dwell free Catalonia!” and mentioned he was again “to remind you that we’re nonetheless right here.”
“Holding a referendum just isn’t and can by no means be against the law,” he added.
Mr. Puigdemont subsequently disappeared.
Many anticipated him to look on the Homes of Parliament in time for the investiture ceremony at 10:00 (08:00 GMT), however he was nowhere to be seen and his whereabouts are unknown.
Late on Thursday, certainly one of his allies mentioned he had spoken to Puigdemont since his escape.
The president of Catalonia’s Nationwide Meeting, a pro-independence group, wrote on X Lluís Llach that Mr Puigdemont was “wholesome, protected and, above all, free”.
Mr Puigdemont’s lawyer Gonzalo Boye made comparable remarks to native broadcaster TV3 on Thursday night.[Puigdemont] Again dwelling, he has a spot of employment there” – however didn’t specify the place of employment.
A Mossos d’Esquadra spokesman mentioned a Catalan police officer was detained on suspicion of serving to Mr Puigdemont escape.
Spanish media mentioned the officer allegedly owned a automotive wherein Puigdemont fled after delivering a speech. Police later detained a second officer.
Roadblocks had been briefly erected round Barcelona on Thursday morning, and Spanish tv confirmed footage from the town of La Junquera on the border with France, the place police may very well be seen stopping vehicles and checking boots.
Puigdemont ally Alex Sarri criticized the police motion towards The hunt to please the powers that be in Madrid.
Police reportedly used pepper spray to disperse Puigdemont’s supporters who had gathered close to parliament.
Ignacio Garriga of the far-right Vox social gathering, which strongly opposes Catalonia’s independence, mentioned Vox would “take all vital measures to make sure Puigdemont is arrested”.
Some Spanish commentators had been baffled by police’s incapability to arrest Puigdemont regardless of saying earlier this week that he would return to Catalonia.
On Wednesday, he posted a video on X saying he had “started to return from exile,” including that his arrest can be unlawful and arbitrary.
Carles Puigdemont seems to have a number of motives for returning to Spain.
First, he needed to stress the authorities to use The country’s new amnesty law – Withdrawal of authorized motion towards Catalan nationalists – The request was made to him after the Supreme Courtroom excluded him from the appliance on technical grounds.
He additionally goals to undermine Socialist Salvador Illa’s inauguration as Catalonia’s new president at the moment.
The previous Spanish well being minister will change into the area’s first non-nationalist chief since 2010.
It is usually necessary for Mr Puigdemont to point out that he and his Catalan Union (JxCat) are the primary pressure behind independence.
He’s eager to solid his separatist rivals, the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), as complicit in Spanish unionism as a result of the social gathering agreed to assist Mr Illa’s investiture.
The ERC stays accountable for Catalonia’s police pressure till a brand new regional authorities is in place, making the return of the previous regional president significantly uncomfortable for the social gathering.
