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Police in Barcelona are hunting for the separatist former leader of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, who made a dramatic return to Spain after a seven-year exile despite facing an outstanding arrest warrant. <\/p>\n
The Mossos d’Esquadra – Catalan police – set up roadblocks within Barcelona and leading out of the city as part of Operation Jaula – or “cage” – aimed at finding Mr Puigdemont, who was seen leaving a rally this morning in a car. <\/p>\n
The operation was reportedly ended a few hours later, although Mr Puigdemont does not appear to have been located yet.<\/p>\n
For much of the past several years he has lived in Brussels, after police indicted him on charges linked to a failed bid for Catalan independence in 2017.<\/p>\n
At the time, Catalonia’s pro-independence leaders including Mr Puigdemont organised a referendum – which was ruled illegal by Spain’s constitutional court – and later declared independence for the region. Madrid imposed direct rule on the region shortly after and Mr Puigdemont fled to Belgium.<\/p>\n
On Thursday morning, Mr Puigdemont briefly addressed hundreds of supporters who gathered near the Catalan parliament in Barcelona, shortly ahead of the expected investiture of a new head of the Catalan government. <\/p>\n
He shouted “Long live a free Catalonia!” before saying he had returned “to remind you that we are still here”.<\/p>\n
“Holding a referendum is not and will never be a crime,” he added.<\/p>\n
Mr Puigdemont then disappeared. <\/p>\n
Many were expecting him to turn up inside the parliament building in time for the investiture ceremony at 10:00 (08:00 GMT), but he was nowhere to be seen and his whereabouts remain unclear.<\/p>\n
Late on Thursday one of his allies said he had spoken with Mr Puigdemont since his escape.<\/p>\n
In a post on X Llu\u00eds Llach, the president of pro-independence organisation Catalan National Assembly, said Mr Puigdemont was “healthy, safe and above all, free”.<\/p>\n
Mr Puigdemont’s lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, made similar remarks on Thursday evening, as he told local broadcaster TV3 “[Puigdemont] went home, where he has his place of work” – but did not specify where that may be.<\/p>\n
A Catalan police officer was detained on suspicion of helping Mr Puigdemont flee, a spokesperson for the Mossos d\u2019Esquadra said. <\/p>\n
The officer allegedly owns a car in which Mr Puigdemont escaped after making his address, Spanish media said. Police later detained a second officer.<\/p>\n
Roadblocks were set up around Barcelona for a time on Thursday morning and Spanish TV also showed images from La Jonquera, a municipality bordering France, where police could be seen stopping cars and checking the boots.<\/p>\n
Puigdemont ally Aleix Sarri criticised the police operation on X, saying: “Hundreds of policemen encircle Barcelona to arrest President Puigdemont. A hunt paid with public money to please the powers in Madrid. This is not what a democracy does.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Police reportedly used pepper spray to disperse Puigdemont supporters who gathered near the parliament. <\/p>\n
Ignacio Garriga of the far-right Vox party, which strongly opposes independence for Catalonia, said Vox would “do everything necessary to ensure that Puigdemont is arrested”.<\/p>\n
Some Spanish commentators are puzzled at the fact that police were unable to arrest Mr Puigdemont despite him announcing he would return to Catalonia earlier this week. <\/p>\n
On Wednesday, he posted a video on X saying that he had “started the return trip from exile” and added that his arrest would have been illegal and arbitrary.<\/p>\n
There appear to be several motives behind Carles Puigdemont’s return to Spain. <\/p>\n