Catalan police seal off Barcelona in search for fugitive leader Carles Puigdemont

Catalan police have locked down Barcelona in an intensive manhunt for separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who briefly resurfaced to address supporters before disappearing again.

Dubbed "Operation Cage," the police effort initially focused on setting up checkpoints at exits from Barcelona to locate the vehicle carrying the former Catalan president, wanted by Spanish authorities since 2017, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The operation has since expanded to all parts of Catalonia, including highways connecting to France.

A member of Puigdemont’s inner circle said, "Hundreds of policemen to catch a political leader is not the typical action of a democracy but a regime in search of its public enemy number one."

Puigdemont reappeared in Barcelona after seven years in exile, addressing nearly 3,500 supporters near the city’s Triumphal Arch. He vanished shortly after his speech, during which he declared, “Despite all the efforts to do us harm, I have come here today to remind them that we are still here and that we do not have to give up. Long live free Catalonia!”

Puigdemont’s brief appearance was intended to coincide with a parliamentary vote on Socialist Salvador Illa’s bid to become the next president of Catalonia. Although Puigdemont had been elected to the Catalan parliament, he did not request to vote remotely, leaving many to speculate about his potential reappearance in the legislative body. However, police confirmed that Puigdemont had not been detained.

Puigdemont announced his return on Wednesday, aiming to attend the vote on Illa’s presidency, which could end 14 years of separatist governance in Catalonia. The announcement heightened anticipation among his supporters, who gathered early in the morning, chanting and displaying masks of Puigdemont’s face.

If arrested, Puigdemont will likely be transferred to Madrid to appear before the Supreme Court, where a judge will decide on his pre-trial detention or release on bail.

Puigdemont has been a fugitive since 2017, after organizing an illegal independence referendum in Catalonia. He escaped Spanish authorities by sneaking out of the country and has since resided in Waterloo, Belgium, leading the Catalan independence movement from abroad and serving as a Member of the European Parliament since 2019.