Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, who was wanted on an arrest warrant, has returned to exile in Belgium after his historic performance in Barcelona, according to his own statements.
“Today I am in Waterloo after a few extremely difficult days,” the 61-year-old wrote that evening on the X platform. He had traveled thousands of kilometers in “a few days” and still needed some rest. Puigdemont did not comment on the question of his political future.
At the same time, the politician, who was wanted in Spain on an arrest warrant, criticized Catalan security authorities for organizing a “witch hunt” against people close to him in Catalonia. The general secretary of Puigdemont’s Junts party, Jordi Turull, had previously announced that Puigdemont was back in Belgium. Catalan police had stressed that they did not know where Puigdemont was and had expressed doubts about Turull’s statement.
Large-scale manhunt after disappearance
Puigdemont described the massive manhunt launched after his disappearance immediately following a short speech to supporters in central Barcelona on Thursday as completely disproportionate, burdening innocent citizens and wasting public money. He accused the Catalan police unit Mossos d’Esquadra, a kind of national police force tasked with arresting him, of behaving like the Spanish police.
At a press conference together with Catalan Interior Minister Joan Ignasi Elena, the leadership of the Mossos d’Esquadra admitted that Puigdemont’s arrest in Barcelona had failed. However, the minister stressed that no one could have predicted Puigdemont’s “inappropriate” behavior.
After his speech, Puigdemont did not go to parliament as announced, where the socialist Salvador Illa was to be elected as the new prime minister of Catalonia. Illa is the first regional leader in Barcelona in a long time to oppose the secession of the region from Spain.
Never want to be confronted with it
Instead, Puigdemont got into a car and drove off to an unknown destination. He was reportedly helped by two police officers who were arrested. Police launched a massive manhunt with roadblocks. Thousands of motorists were stuck in miles of traffic jams in the midsummer heat.
Puigdemont reiterated in the X-Post that he never intended to turn himself in or facilitate his arrest, because he was being prosecuted for political reasons and, moreover, the amnesty law should also apply to him. However, Spanish investigating judge Pablo Llarena accuses Puigdemont of embezzling public funds for his own benefit in 2017 in connection with the independence referendum. But that is not covered by the amnesty.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
