Carles Puigdemont confirms return to Belgium

Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has confirmed he left Spain and is currently in Brussels after returning to Catalonia on Thursday after nearly seven years abroad. 

Puigdemont has confirmed through social media that he is in Waterloo, where he has been living since 2017. 

On his post on social media X, the former president has denounced the Catalan police's measures to find him on Thursday as "desproportionet". 

After delivering a five-minute speech to thousands of pro-independence supporters, Puigdemont walked off stage and has not been seen since.

His lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, confirmed in an interview with Rac1 radio that the pro-independence leader was already out of Spain and would "address the citizens in the coming days."

Shortly after, the secretary general of Puigdemont's party, Junts+, Jordi Turull, confirmed to Rac1 radio that Puigdemont was returning to Waterloo, his residence since leaving Catalonia.

Puigdemont has also mentioned that the Catalan police are "hunting" the people that helped the former President: "I feel sorry for the people that are receiving the anger of politicians and police who know that they did not rise to the occasion" referring to the acting interior minister Joan Ignasi Elena and the head of the Catalan police, Eduard Sallent, who appeared on a press conference earlier on Friday. 

Turull also confirmed that Puigdemont had been in Barcelona since Tuesday, two days before his appearance in the city center.

Puigdemont's right-hand man said he had been with him from the moment he stepped off the stage until he reached northern Catalonia, present-day France.

Despite the escape, Puigdemont's intention was to enter the parliament, Turull said. But in the face of the "unprecedented security operation" and given that "his safety was at risk," Puigdemont decided to leave again.

"The intention was to become Catalan president, attend the debate, come to Barcelona, and adjust the tactics based on the circumstances. What he had to do was demonstrate that he was not afraid to enter Spain," Boye told Catalunya Ràdio.

After getting off stage, Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, failed to arrest Puigdemont despite launching Operation Cage, setting up checkpoints at the exits of Barcelona and on the border with France to find him.

The lawyer criticized the police for using "disproportionate" public resources to detain Puigdemont, using methods designed for counter-terrorism.

"Given the aggression of the police, he did not want to be arrested so as not to damage the image of the Mossos," Turull said said.

Boye also denied any agreement with the Catalan police to arrest Puigdemont. He explained that the Mossos offered them the possibility, but they refused.