The Catalan president in exile, Carles Puigdemont, has sent an open letter to the people of Quebec, thanking them for the solidarity they have shown with him in the face of the "repressive arsenal deployed by the Spanish state due to the 2017 referendum".

Noting that he's trying to visit Canada, invited by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, based in Montreal, he denounces federal authorities for not granting him the necessary Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter the country. The president says he is "perplexed" by the situation and that he didn't expect it to come to this, especially given the fact he's been able to freely travel around various EU countries, including the UK.

The Catalan politician says that the attitude could be interpreted as support for the "dangerous thesis, so dear to the far right that, alas, is gaining influence in Spain, wanting the participation of an elected official in the running of a self-determination referendum to be able to be legitimately punishable by criminal sentences."

"I can only denounce Ottawa's current position, which causes great harm to the idea of democracy itself, and which I will contest to the highest courts if necessary," he says. The president's lawyers have already presented a lawsuit for visa denial against the Canadian government in federal court.

Puigdemont's letter has been widely reported in the Canadian media.

Carles Puigdemont écrit une lettre ouverte aux Québécois https://t.co/Lp71rumnWB — La Presse (@LP_LaPresse) December 2, 2019

L’ancien président catalan, Carles Puigdemont, s’adresse aux Québécois dans une lettre ouverte publiée lundi où il dénonce le refus du gouvernement du Canada de lui permettre de visiter le pays.https://t.co/ANGz7YP7MR — Journal de Montréal (@JdeMontreal) December 2, 2019

Puigdemont signe une lettre ouverte adressée aux Québécois https://t.co/M1Ux0YhENL — Journal Métro (@journalmetro) December 2, 2019

Dans une lettre ouverte, Carles Puigdemont remercie les Québécois et dénonce la position d'Ottawa https://t.co/StSoVjIy7K — HuffPost Québec (@HuffPostQuebec) December 2, 2019

Carles Puigdemont écrit une lettre ouverte aux Québécois https://t.co/NDXPyikIuM pic.twitter.com/FCdHDPunnl — La Tribune (@LT_LaTribune) December 2, 2019

Carles Puigdemont écrit une lettre ouverte aux Québécois https://t.co/9bsJuZf1rD pic.twitter.com/6WfXaeZgzb — La Voix de l'Est (@lavoixdelest) December 2, 2019

Dans une lettre ouverte aux Québécois, l’ex-président catalan Carles Puigdemont plaide pour l’autodétermination des peuples et dénonce Ottawa, qui ne lui permet pas d’entrer au pays. https://t.co/oKTknVL8Tv — Le Devoir (@LeDevoir) December 2, 2019