▁Spain , ▁however , ▁during ▁his ▁last ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁politician ▁in ▁Madrid , ▁he ▁moved ▁from ▁Catal an ▁autonom ist ▁to ▁left - wing ▁independent ist ▁positions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁Ma ci à ▁founded ▁the ▁independent ist ▁party ▁Est at ▁Catal à . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁he ▁attempted ▁an ▁ins urre ction ▁against ▁the ▁Spanish ▁dict ator ship ▁of ▁Miguel ▁Pr imo ▁de ▁River a . ▁This ▁u pr ising , ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁to ▁achieve ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁Catal onia , ▁was ▁based ▁in ▁Pr ats ▁de ▁M oll ó ▁( R ouss illon , ▁southern ▁France ). ▁He ▁was ▁arrested ▁in ▁France ▁for ▁this ▁and ▁was ▁conv icted ▁and ▁sent enced ▁to ▁two ▁months ▁in ▁j ail ▁and ▁a ▁fine ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 ▁fran cs . ▁Ma ci à ▁left ▁France ▁for ▁Br uss els ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 2 7 . ▁In ▁April ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Spain ▁after ▁being ▁p ardon ed ; ▁he ▁was ▁ex iled ▁again ▁but ▁returned ▁once ▁more ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 3 1 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁after ▁the ▁elections ▁that ▁caused ▁the ▁ex ile ▁of ▁Alfonso ▁XIII ▁of ▁Spain ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁local ▁majority ▁to ▁his ▁party ▁Republican ▁Left ▁of ▁Catal onia ▁( Es quer ra ▁Republic ana ▁de ▁Catalunya , ▁ER C ), ▁a ▁few ▁hours ▁before ▁the ▁pro clam ation ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Spanish ▁Republic