Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has confirmed that he has safely returned to Waterloo, Belgium, after successfully evading an arrest attempt in Spain. In a lengthy and pointed statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Puigdemont offered a detailed account of his escape and issued harsh criticisms against the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia's regional police force, and the political leaders responsible for the operation.

Puigdemont, who briefly reappeared in Spain, managed to evade capture and make his way back to Belgium, where he has been residing since fleeing Spain in 2017 following the controversial Catalan independence referendum. In his message, Puigdemont stated that he had arrived in Waterloo after "extremely difficult days," noting that he needed time to recover from the stress and intensity of the recent events. He indicated that he would soon provide a thorough analysis of the political context surrounding the operation that enabled his escape.

The former president reserved his harshest criticism for the Mossos d'Esquadra and Catalan Interior Minister Joan Ignasi Elena. Puigdemont described the police operation as "deplorable," likening it to a "witch hunt" motivated by political vendettas rather than genuine law enforcement objectives. He particularly condemned the press conference held by the Catalan Interior Ministry, where officials explained the reasons for the failed arrest. Puigdemont accused the authorities of engaging in a politically driven crackdown, comparing their actions to the repressive tactics employed by former Spanish Interior Ministers Fernando Grande-Marlaska and Juan Ignacio Zoido.

Addressing several rumors that circulated during his escape, Puigdemont denied claims that he had used a straw hat as a disguise or that he had hidden in the trunk of a vehicle to avoid capture. He criticized the police for fabricating details in their reports, stating that such actions were emblematic of a broader pattern of misinformation and politically motivated persecution.

Puigdemont also made it clear that he had no intention of surrendering voluntarily, emphasizing that it was "unacceptable" for him to be pursued for "political reasons." He accused the Spanish Supreme Court of being obsessed with arresting him and questioned why such extensive police resources were being used to target a political figure without any criminal convictions. Puigdemont contrasted the operation to previous police efforts to apprehend dangerous criminals, arguing that the resources would be better spent on combating serious crimes such as terrorism and organized crime.

In his statement, Puigdemont lamented what he called the "Spanishization" of the Mossos d'Esquadra, accusing them of abandoning their role as a distinct national police force with a commitment to public service. He praised the Mossos' past actions during the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, suggesting that the force had lost its way by participating in operations against political figures.

Before concluding, Puigdemont criticized the Catalan Interior Ministry for failing to provide him with the security detail he claims he is entitled to as a former president. He argued that had he been given proper protection, the authorities would have been aware of his movements, thereby avoiding the need for what he described as a "delirious" and unnecessary police operation. Puigdemont warned that this operation would forever be a part of the public record, not as an achievement but as a failure of the current leadership.