Carles Puigdemont, the former Catalan separatist leader, evaded capture in Barcelona on Thursday after defying an arrest warrant to address a rally of his supporters. His disappearance sparked a frantic police search and widespread confusion in the Catalan capital, CNN reports.
Source: AP
Puigdemont, who has been living in self-imposed exile for seven years, addressed thousands of supporters near the Catalan parliament, vowing to reignite the independence movement that plunged Spain into a political crisis in 2017.
“They thought they’d be celebrating my arrest and they thought that this punishment would dissuade us, and you,” he said at a rally. “Well, they are wrong.”
Following his speech, Puigdemont vanished, disappearing backstage and leaving a throng of police and media searching for him.
The search for the separatist leader created traffic chaos in Barcelona and near the French border as police set up roadblocks and searched vehicles. The hunt was eventually called off, but the circumstances surrounding Puigdemont’s disappearance remain unclear.
Puigdemont faces an arrest warrant for alleged embezzlement related to the 2017 independence referendum, which was declared illegal by Spanish courts. He maintains the vote was legitimate and the charges against him are baseless.
The Catalan government has confirmed that Puigdemont has not been detained, raising concerns about potential collusion within the regional police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra. One Mossos officer has been arrested in connection with the investigation into Puigdemont’s whereabouts.
The incident has drawn criticism from national police unions, who accused the Mossos of failing to carry out their duty.
The search for Puigdemont comes as the Catalan parliament is set to swear in Socialist Salvador Illa as the new president, ending a decade of separatist rule. The chaos surrounding Puigdemont’s disappearance adds another layer of tension to the already politically charged situation in Catalonia.
