The urgent request for the official escort service for Carles Puigdemont has been blocked for more than 150 days in the State Attorney's Office, after the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, requested a report from the State's legal services before deciding on his processing. Although various police sources agree that the risk of aggression against the former president has increased after he announced that part of his electoral campaign will be held near Catalonia, the Government is in no hurry to expedite the resolution of the Lawyer's report - who already spoke out in 2018 against the protection service – according to ministerial sources.
The request for an escort has been sleeping in a drawer at the State Attorney's Office since the middle of last November. At that time, the PSOE and Junts were negotiating the investiture of Pedro Sánchez as President of the Government, with the violent protests in Ferraz as a backdrop. The threatening messages against the leaders of both parties had multiplied due to the agreement on the Amnesty law. The head of Puigdemont's office, Josep Lluís Alay, once again requested escorts for the former president due to the increase in "dangerousness" and "the risk to his person." In the Interior they did not plan to move any chips. Until the then acting Minister of the Presidency, Félix Bolaños, entered the scene, who assured in RAC1 that the department headed by Marlaska would give the green light to the request.
After that announcement, which a trusted person of Bolaños recognized as the result of an error by the minister, Elena asked by letter to the former judge of the National Court to process the request. As it is a personal protection service in a third country, it would be Belgium that would have to authorize it, but first it is up to the Interior Ministry to make that request. And this is the procedure that Grande-Marlaska had never agreed to carry out before. Nor was he going to do it that Wednesday in November, despite the fact that Bolaños opened the ban. The head of the Interior completely refused to sign the document. So what was thought was to request a report without deadlines from the Legal Profession, dependent on the Ministry of Justice.
In 2018, Puigdemont was denied escort service on the grounds that he did not hold any State authority and was also on the run from justice. The Barcelona Court sentenced former Interior Minister Miquel Buch to four and a half years in prison for appointing a police officer as a position of trust to escort the former president. That is why the current councilor has insisted on numerous occasions through the appropriate channels. In person, it was at the beginning of the year. On January 9, Elena went to Madrid to hold a meeting with Grande-Marlaska in which it was agreed to hold the Catalan Security Board, which was finally annulled due to the early elections. According to sources familiar with the meeting, Elena brought up the matter in the conversation because she “was obliged to do so” and in the same way the minister replied that they were “pending the report.” And shelved that uncomfortable topic for both of us. The meeting continued in a “very cordial” tone.
What neither party was counting on was the early elections, which has increased the risk for Puigdemont as the head of the list. Even more so when numerous rallies will be held a few kilometers from the border.
“At a time of great polarization and political tension, operationally a candidate must have a good security device,” acknowledges a police source, who asks to leave aside whether he has an open judicial process. Another agent who has participated in electoral campaigns describes it as “nonsense” that “whoever” the candidate for an autonomous community is, does not have official protection. These are the arguments that once again led the councilor to request processing. However, the latest letter has not even received a response from the head of the Interior. Until yesterday, just a simple acknowledgment of receipt.
