Carles Puigdemont’s Unexpected Return to Barcelona
Carles Puigdemont, the exiled leader of the Catalonia pro-independence movement, has once again managed to evade Spanish authorities after making a surprising appearance in Barcelona this week. According to his lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, Puigdemont has since fled the country once more.
Puigdemont, who served as the president of the Catalan government during the controversial 2017 independence referendum, has been living in self-imposed exile since that time. Despite an ongoing arrest warrant issued by Spanish authorities, he returned to Barcelona this week and even held a rally near the regional Parliament on Thursday.
In response to his unannounced return, Spanish police initiated a manhunt, setting up roadblocks and conducting checks on vehicles entering and leaving Barcelona. However, on Friday, Boye confirmed via Catalan radio that Puigdemont had successfully left Spain.
Prior to his rally, Puigdemont had promised to be present in Barcelona for the election of the new president of the regional Parliament, a position being filled by a Socialist who does not support Catalonia’s independence. Observers interpreted his return as an attempt to reclaim relevance in a political landscape where, for the first time in decades, pro-independence parties failed to secure an outright majority in recent regional elections.
Jordi Turull, the general secretary of Puigdemont’s party, disclosed that the leader was on his way back to Waterloo, Belgium, where he has resided during much of his exile. Turull noted that Puigdemont had spent a few days in Spain leading up to the rally.
The sudden appearance and subsequent disappearance of Puigdemont, a figure who elicits strong opinions on both sides, left many in the country perplexed. Questions arose regarding how Spanish authorities allowed him to return, deliver a speech to supporters, and then slip away without being apprehended.
In a twist, two members of Catalonia’s police force were arrested on suspicion of aiding Puigdemont’s escape. The opposition seized upon this incident, accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of “humiliating” Spain amid what many viewed as significant security lapses.
Despite the controversy, Puigdemont’s supporters expressed their admiration. “I am extremely happy that he came, that he managed to talk and that he was able to say what he wanted to say,” said Anna Navarro, a regional lawmaker affiliated with Puigdemont’s party. “It was an incredible day for the independence movement.”
