Spanish Police Hunt Returning Catalan Separatist Puigdemont
- Former regional president disappears after speech in Barcelona
- Return from self-imposed exile may complicate life for Sanchez
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Spanish police are hunting Carles Puigdemont after the former Catalan president briefly appeared at a rally in central Barcelona, returning to Spain following nearly seven years of self-imposed exile despite an arrest warrant against him.
The 61-year-old, whose reappearance could complicate Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s ability to govern, spoke to around 4,500 people gathered at Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf before disappearing into the crowd. Police launched a manhunt across Catalonia, temporarily blocking roads that lead out of the capital to the border with France. One officer was taken into custody accused of helping Puigdemont to flee.