Subprocess.Popen() not working when reading file path from csv file

[snippsat]

The problem appears to be the blank space in the middle of the string (between 'program' and 'files' in the file path)

Should not be a problem,a quick test.
So this run fine no error,and open programs.

import subprocess

core = r'C:\Program Files\Core Temp\Core Temp.exe'
prg = r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe'
print(repr(core))
print(repr(prg))
subprocess.Popen([core])
subprocess.Popen([prg])

Output:
E:\div_code\new
λ python p_open.py
'C:\\Program Files\\Core Temp\\Core Temp.exe'
'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe'

If put paths is a file,run fine.

Output:
# prog.csv
C:\Program Files\Core Temp\Core Temp.exe,C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe

import subprocess
import csv

with open('prog.csv') as f:
    reader = csv.reader(f, delimiter=',')
    prog_lst = list(reader)

for prog in prog_lst[0]:
    subprocess.Popen([prog])

so prog_lst looks like this,se that there are two \\ when read from a file,
then there is no need for r(raw string) as if write/copy path yourself.

>>> prog_lst
[['C:\\Program Files\\Core Temp\\Core Temp.exe',
  'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Google\\Chrome\\Application\\chrome.exe']]