Carles Puigdemont, the leader of the Catalan separatist movement, has reportedly evaded Spanish authorities and is now believed to be in either France or Belgium. Puigdemont’s lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, has stated that his client managed to escape the police and is now in a safe location. The former president of Catalonia is facing charges of rebellion and sedition in Spain for his role in organizing an independence referendum in 2017, which was deemed illegal by the Spanish government.
Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium in the aftermath of the referendum, had been living in self-imposed exile since then. However, recent reports suggest that he has managed to evade capture once again and is now on the run from Spanish authorities. It is unclear how Puigdemont managed to cross the border without being detected, but his lawyer has confirmed that he is currently in a safe location.
The Spanish government has not commented on Puigdemont’s whereabouts, but it is likely that they will seek to extradite him back to Spain to face the charges against him. Puigdemont’s escape has once again reignited tensions between the Catalan separatists and the Spanish government, with calls for his immediate arrest and extradition growing louder.
The situation is still developing, and it remains to be seen how the Spanish government will respond to Puigdemont’s escape. In the meantime, the Catalan separatist leader remains at large, continuing to advocate for the independence of Catalonia from Spain.
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