BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Former Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont, who fled Spain after organizing an illegal independence referendum in the wealthy Spanish region nearly seven years ago, returned to the country Thursday despite an ongoing arrest warrant.
Puigdemont made a brazen appearance in Barcelona after travelling from Belgium and is accused of embezzlement over his role in the attempt to separate Catalonia from the rest of Spain.
Puigdemont has dedicated his career to the goal of creating a new country in northeastern Spain — a struggle that has lasted for decades. His largely uncompromising approach has led to political conflict with other separatist parties and with Spain’s central government.
Puigdemont appeared in a central Barcelona park, where thousands of separatist supporters who had gathered in anticipation of his arrival waved Catalan flags. He punched the air to cheers on a bright, sunny day.
The event was organised by his political party Together for Catalonia (Junts), just hours before a new regional government was due to take office nearby.
Local police were deployed in a security ring around a section of the park where Catalonia’s parliament building is behind walls. Puigdemont walked towards the building, followed by crowds of supporters.
Puigdemont had previously publicly announced that he would return to Spain, but did not give any details about his trip.
Puigdemont’s presence in Spain is likely to fuel new political tensions over the simmering issue of Catalan independence, a failed secession attempt that has caused a protracted constitutional crisis.
It was not yet clear what the authorities would do if Puigdemont was arrested.
A controversial amnesty law, drafted by Spain’s Socialist-led coalition government, could potentially clear Puigdemont and hundreds of other Catalan independence supporters of any wrongdoing in the illegal 2017 election.
But the bill, approved by Spain’s parliament earlier this year, is being challenged by the Supreme Court, leaving uncertainty over what crimes would be pardoned. Puigdemont could initially be placed in pre-trial detention if arrested.
The return of the former Catalan leader threatened to complicate a deal reached after months of deadlock between Salvador Illa’s Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) and the other major Catalan separatist party, the left-wing Esquerra Republicana (ERC).
The deal ensured that there was just enough support in the Catalan parliament to appoint Illa as the next regional president during a nomination debate on Thursday.
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Barry Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.
