The fugitive former leader of Catalonia’s independence movement, Carles Puigdemont, has sparked a dramatic manhunt after making a surprise appearance in Barcelona. Puigdemont, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2017, returned to the city despite an outstanding arrest warrant, to deliver a speech before disappearing again.
đ„ Far-right Vox to sue “anyone who helped Puigdemont escape”
“Today we witnessed with amazement how a fugitive with an active arrest warrant appeared and disappeared from Barcelona. It is a humiliation for Catalans,” @Igarrigavaz said
More âĄïž https://t.co/vPIoBcwUEC pic.twitter.com/C1H7roFaMF
â Catalan News (@catalannews) August 8, 2024
Puigdemont, 61, had previously hinted at his return to coincide with the swearing-in of a new president in Catalonia’s parliament. He arrived in Barcelona on Thursday morning and headed to Ciutadella Park, where he addressed a crowd of several thousand separatist supporters. In his speech, he emphasized the right to self-determination and accused Spanish authorities of persecuting the Catalan separatist movement. “For the last seven years, we have been persecuted because we wanted to hear the voice of the Catalan people,” he said. “They have made being Catalan into something suspicious.”
Despite the heavy police presence, no attempt was made to arrest him during his speech, likely to avoid confrontation with the crowd. Instead of heading to the regional parliament as expected, Puigdemont entered a nearby marquee and then made a swift escape in a waiting car.
Police, who had cordoned off the parliament, quickly realized he had evaded capture and began stopping traffic across the city, including on highways leading to France, in an attempt to locate him. Puigdemont faces charges of alleged embezzlement related to the 2017 attempt to break Catalonia away from Spain, an event that led to a significant political crisis.
BREAKING:
Catalan police have launched an operation to find and arrest Carles Puigdemont and set up roadblocks on routes to the French border after the fugitive former regional president returned to Spain for the first time in seven years, The Guardian reports. pic.twitter.com/1S8AJPRdh5
â Globe Vision News (@GlobeVisionNews) August 8, 2024
His appearance in Barcelona and subsequent escape stole the spotlight on a day when a new Catalan government was being sworn in. Salvador Illa, leader of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), was sworn in as president, calling for reconciliation and pledging to govern for all Catalans amid deep divisions over independence.
Key Points:
i. Dramatic Return: Carles Puigdemont, in self-imposed exile since 2017, made a surprise appearance in Barcelona, sparking a manhunt.
ii. Speech to Supporters: Addressed a crowd in Ciutadella Park, emphasizing self-determination and accusing Spanish authorities of persecution.
iii. Evaded Arrest: Made a swift escape in a waiting car, evading police who had expected him at the regional parliament.
iv. Charges and Crisis: Faces charges of embezzlement related to the 2017 independence referendum, which triggered a political crisis.
v. New Government Sworn In: Salvador Illa sworn in as Catalan president, calling for reconciliation amid deep divisions over independence.
Lap Fu Ip â Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
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