Police in Barcelona are actively searching for Carles Puigdemont, the former leader of Catalonia, following his surprising return to Spain after seven years in exile, despite an existing arrest warrant.
As part of Operation Jaula, the Catalan police, known as Mossos d’Esquadra, have set up roadblocks throughout Barcelona and its outskirts to locate Puigdemont, who was spotted leaving a rally in a vehicle early Thursday. Though the operation concluded after several hours, Puigdemont remains unaccounted for.
For many years, Puigdemont has resided in Brussels after being indicted on charges stemming from Catalonia’s 2017 independence referendum, which was deemed illegal by Spain’s constitutional court. The crisis escalated when Puigdemont and other pro-independence leaders declared independence for Catalonia, prompting Madrid to enforce direct rule and Puigdemont to flee to Belgium.
Earlier Thursday, Puigdemont addressed a crowd of supporters gathered near the Catalan parliament, rallying them with the declaration, “Long live a free Catalonia!” He emphasized that organizing a referendum “is not and will never be a crime.” However, shortly after his remarks, he vanished from sight.
Despite expectations he would attend the parliamentary investiture ceremony for a new Catalan president that morning, Puigdemont did not appear, and his current location is uncertain. Later, an ally confirmed they had spoken with Puigdemont, affirming that he is “healthy, safe, and above all, free.”
Additionally, one police officer has been detained on suspicion of assisting Puigdemont’s escape, with reports indicating the officer owns the vehicle used in his flight. A second officer was also detained in connection with this matter.
During the police operation, which included roadblocks around Barcelona, there were reports of confrontations, as police allegedly used pepper spray to disperse Puigdemont supporters. Prominent figures from the far-right political party have expressed their determination to see Puigdemont arrested.
Interestingly, many observers are questioning how law enforcement could not apprehend him given his public announcement of his return just days prior. Recently, Puigdemont stated that his arrest would be illegal and arbitrary, positioning his return amidst strategic political motives.
By returning, Puigdemont aims to push the authorities to enforce the new amnesty law that dismisses legal actions against Catalan nationalists, from which he was excluded due to technicalities. Furthermore, he seeks to disrupt the expected investiture of Socialist Salvador Illa, who would be the first non-nationalist leader of Catalonia since 2010.
Importantly, Puigdemont is also working to reinforce his and his party’s position as the leading force in the pro-independence movement, especially in light of perceived cooperation between his rivals and Spanish unionism via support for Illa’s investiture. The implications of this situation are significant for the political landscape in Catalonia.
