Two police officers who were supposed to help former Catalan Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont escape from Barcelona have been detained by Spanish security services. One of them allegedly lent the politician, who had returned to the city for a short while after nearly seven years in exile, his car.
In hiding since 2017 in Belgiumand then in France Carles Puigdemont is wanted by the Spanish police in connection with organizing an illegal independence referendum in Catalonia on October 1, 2017 and attempting to declare its secession. Spain.
After Wednesday's announcement of a return to Spain Puigdemont appeared near the Catalan parliament building on Thursday morningwhere, as a member of the regional chamber elected in May this year, he was to take part in the debate on the vote of confidence in Salvador Illa's government.
Former Prime Minister of Catalonia Carles PuigdemontPAP/EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
After a brief meeting with several thousand supporters, Puigdemont left Barcelona in a white Honda car, which investigators say belongs to one of the detained police officers.
The two men arrested on Thursday, who were allegedly helping Puigdemont escape from Barcelona, are officers of the regional police force known as Mossos d'Esquadra.
Rally near the Catalan parliamentPAP/EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ
Inspectors also briefly detained Jordi Turull, a former spokesman for the Catalan government who also allegedly supported Puigdemont during his brief visit to Barcelona. The separatist's associate is expected to give detailed testimony in the coming days.
Police raid, roadblocks
On Thursday afternoon, the opposition right-wing populist party Vox announced that it would submit to the prosecutor's office a list of the names of all of Puigdemont's alleged associates who helped him return to Catalonia on Thursday and escape a police raid.
The separatist's whereabouts are unknown despite a police operation called “The Cage” that lasted several hours. Although he posted a message on social media in the evening that he was still in Catalonia, Spanish services doubt that this declaration is true.
Roadblock in BarcelonaPAP/EPA/QUIQUE GARCIA
Puigdemont's arrest could lead to a political crisis in Spain, as the Together for Catalonia (Junts) party he leads is key to keeping Pedro Sanchez's third government in power. It was thanks to the votes of 7 MPs from the separatist Junts that this cabinet received a vote of confidence from the Congress of Deputies on November 16, 2023, and retained power in Spain.
Carles Puigdemont, who moved from Belgium to the French town of Elna in April, won a seat in the Catalan parliamentary elections on May 12 on behalf of Junts. He was previously its MEP in the European Parliament.
Main image source: PAP/EPA/ALBERTO ESTEVEZ