The Unseen Race in Barcelona: A Story of Puigdemont’s Return and Escape

Carlos Puigdemont, the ex-Catalonia leader, made a dramatic return to Spain, giving a speech in Barcelona before evading capture with the help of a local police officer. Nearly seven years after initially fleeing, Puigdemont’s reappearance sparked political controversy and intensified the ongoing debate over Catalan independence.

Police in Barcelona launched a manhunt on Thursday for Carles Puigdemont, the ex-Catalonia leader and celebrated advocate for Catalan independence. Puigdemont, who fled Spain nearly seven years ago following a failed independence bid, made a sudden and sensational return, only to escape right after his speech with alleged assistance from a local officer.

Puigdemont had kept his visit secret until the very last moment, coinciding with the swearing-in of a new Catalan president. He delivered his address in central Barcelona under the watchful eyes of police, who abstained from detaining him. Following his speech, he made a swift getaway to a waiting vehicle, as captured by an Associated Press photographer.

The Catalan police arrested one of their officers, accused of facilitating Puigdemont's escape. With no further details disclosed, the manhunt was called off three hours later. This episode came against the backdrop of strained relations between Catalonia's police force and Spain's central government, adding another layer to the protracted political turmoil over the region's independence movement.

(With inputs from agencies.)