Catalan independence leader Carles Puigdemont announced his “return from exile” this Wednesday and promised to attend the inaugural session of the new regional government in the Barcelona parliament this Thursday, in a clear challenge to the Spanish justice system.
“Parliament has called all deputies to discuss the inauguration of the new president of the regional government. I must be present and I want to be present. That is why I have begun my journey back from exile,” Puigdemont says in a video posted on social media.
The investiture session is scheduled for 10am this Thursday (an hour behind in Lisbon), and Puigdemont’s party, Junts, wants to mobilise thousands of supporters in parliament to welcome their leader while forming a security cordon to prevent their arrest.
Puigdemont, who has lived in Belgium since 2017, is wanted by the Spanish justice system for the crime of embezzlement, which is not covered by the controversial amnesty approved by the Spanish Socialist government. The leader of the Juntas knows that he could be arrested as soon as he crosses the border, but he hopes to be able to “dodge” the authorities so that he is arrested only near or inside the parliament, in order to increase the media effect of the action and at the same time force the postponement of the inauguration of the Socialist Salvador Illa. According to La Vanguardia, the security forces have installed a powerful security device to “close” the hemicycle and prevent the independence leader from entering.
Author: Ricardo Ramos
Source: CM Jornal
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