Catalan Leader Defies Arrest Warrant: Puigdemont's Rally and Escape

Former Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont appeared at a rally in Barcelona, defying a seven-year self-imposed exile. Amid heavy police presence, he vowed to revive the independence drive but reportedly fled the scene in a police officer’s car. His escape has sparked a heated political debate and criticism.

Former Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont defied an arrest warrant to appear at a rally in Barcelona on Thursday, after seven years of self-imposed exile. Amid a heavy police presence, Puigdemont told a crowd of thousands he aimed to revive the independence drive that plunged Spain into political crisis in 2017.

Authorities suspect that, after speaking, Puigdemont fled the scene in a white car belonging to a police officer, sparking a frantic search. The regional police, Mossos d'Esquadra, arrested two officers as part of the investigation into his whereabouts.

Puigdemont faces an arrest warrant for alleged embezzlement linked to a 2017 independence referendum deemed illegal by Spanish courts. The incident has further strained the fragile alliance between the Socialist-led national government and Puigdemont's Junts party, with attempts to re-ignite the independence movement seemingly at odds with recent political developments.