Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has managed to flee Spain – despite a large police presence and an arrest warrant for him – and is heading to Belgium after a brief visit to Barcelona, his party’s secretary general said on Friday.
His plan is to continue working from Waterloo, Junts Secretary General Jordi Turull told Catalan radio station RAC1.
Puigdemont had been in Barcelona since Tuesday night, he said.
After a short speech, Puigdemont managed to flee, despite a large police contingent trying to arrest him on Thursday.
Earlier, Puigdemont’s lawyer had said he was “outside the Spanish state”.
Lawyer Gonzalo Boye would not say whether Puigdemont had since returned to Belgium, where he had spent most of his nearly seven-year exile.
Puigdemont will address the public soon, Boye said.
Puigdemont attempted to lead Catalonia to independence in 2017 in a referendum that was declared illegal. He then fled the country, hiding in a car, and spent most of his time in exile in Belgium. He was later also stationed in the south of France.
Catalan police, who were ordered to arrest Puigdemont, were taken by surprise as they did not expect him to disappear immediately after his speech, sources said.
Puigdemont had indicated in advance that he wanted to be present at the election of the pro-Spanish socialist Salvador Illa as the new leader of the region’s parliament.
However, after speaking, Puigdemont escaped in a white car, reports said. Two police officers were later arrested on suspicion of aiding his escape.
Spain has an amnesty for separatists, but there is still an arrest warrant for Puigdemont. He was accused in 2017 by investigating judge Pablo Llarena of embezzlement, a crime exempt from the amnesty.
Llarena is now demanding clarification from the police about how Puigdemont was able to escape.
Catalan police will comment on the failed arrest during a press conference.
Earlier, Puigdemont said he was “healthy, safe and above all free,” Lluis Llach, a Catalan singer-songwriter and leader of the separatist civil movement ANC, said in a post on the social media platform X.
He said Puigdemont had asked him to deliver this message, but he did not say where he was or what he planned to do.
Earlier, lawyer Boye appeared to downplay Puigdemont’s return, his brief speech to thousands of supporters in Barcelona and his subsequent disappearance, despite the heavy police presence.
Boye described it as a normal workday. “He finished his political work and went home after his work was done, like everyone does,” he told reporters, without revealing where “home” is.
He also said that Puigdemont would “never surrender”.
