Police in Barcelona are searching for former Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who made a Surprising return to Spain after seven years out of country despite facing a non-bailable arrest warrant.
He was residing in Brussels for the past several years, after police indicted him on charges linked to the failed Catalan independence bid in 2017.
The Mossos d’Esquadra – the Catalan police – set up road barriers in and out of Barcelona as part of Operation Jolla – or “Cage” – aimed at finding Mr Puigdemont, who today was spotted in morning leaving the rally in a car. The operation was reportedly called off after a few hours.
At the time, Catalonia’s pro-independence leaders, including Mr. Puigdemont, held a referendum – ruled illegal by Spain’s constitutional court – and proclaimed independence for the region. Madrid soon imposed direct rule over the affected region and Mr. Puigdemont left to Belgium.
On Thursday morning, Mr, Puigdemont briefly spoken to hundreds of supporters accumulated near the Catalan parliament in Barcelona shortly before the expected investiture of the new leader of the Catalan government.
He said he was back “to remind you that we are still here” further he said: “Holding a referendum is not a crime and never will be.” Mr. Puigdemont then absconded.
Many were expecting him to be inside the parliament building in time for the investiture ceremony at 10:00 (08:00 GMT), but he was not seen there.
A speaker for the Mossos d’Esquadra proclaimed that a Catalan police officer had been detained on suspicion of assisting Mr Puigdemont escape.
The media said, the officer allegedly owned a vehicle in which Mr Puigdemont fled after giving his address.
Spanish media also depicted some images from the French border municipality of La Jonquera, where police could be spotted while stopping cars and checking boats.
A spokesman for Catalonia’s interior department said in an argument that roadblocks have now been erected across the city.
Puigdemont ally Alex Saari criticized the agency operation at twitter, saying: “a huge number of policemen surround Barcelona to arrest President Puigdemont hunted with general public money to please the influencers in Madrid.” Democracy doesn’t do that.”
Ignacio Garriga of the far-right Vox party, which strongly opposes Catalan independence, said Vox would “do every type of possible action to ensure Puigdemont’s arrest”.
Police reportedly utilized pepper spray to disperse Puigdemont supporters who had gathered close to the parliament.
The Spanish observers are surprised by the prevailing environment that police have failed to capture Mr Puigdemont despite announcing earlier this week that he is coming back to Catalonia.
There appear to be a number of motivations behind Carles Puigdemont’s return to Spain.
On Wednesday, he posted a video on twitter saying that i had “started his journey back from exile” and added that his arrest would have been illegal and arbitrary.
First, he wants to press authorities to implement the Spanish new amnesty law – which withdraws prosecutions of Catalan nationalists – after the Supreme Court declined his application on technical grounds.
His mission today is to disturb the inauguration of socialist Salvador Illa as a new Catalan’s head.
The Spanish retired health minister would become the region’s first non-nationalist leader since 2010.
Equally important to Mr Puigdemont is the recognition of himself and his Juntas per Catalonia party as a pro-independence force.