How did the court proceedings against you begin?

It started on February 19, 2017. On that day, in Bogotá, a bomb was placed on police officers. One of them died and several were injured. This caused great media pressure on the government to see why they were being produced in Bogotá, and even more so with the peace pact with the FARC-EP in force. Four days later, I was arrested. The media, the Minister of Defence and the Lehendakari recriminated the attack, but this issue was not addressed in the judicial process.

What were you accused of in the trial?

In September 2015, I was accused of placing a pamphlet bomb filled with leaflets. Supposedly, a witness identified me. At first, the witness provided a description of another person, but later, by changing the version, he gave my description. The witness, who is now attending his police studies, was visited by the police before denouncing me. They told her to describe me and sign me up. Added to that was media pressure, the judge's attitude to believe what the prosecution said and some erroneous arguments initially used by my lawyer led me to jail. I was almost 22 months in jail, and during that time I was tried. I was able to prove that I was not in the place of the facts at the time and that the case of the witness who identified me was a police montage. I was eventually acquitted. But the process is continuing, as the Prosecutor’s Office has announced that it will appeal to the Supreme Court the Supreme Court’s ruling.

You have defined your case as “false judicial positive.” What is that?

Here, perhaps the term “police assembly” is more widely known. To symbolize that the Army had results in the fight against terrorism, he claimed that civilians had died and were guerrillas. The term false positive judicial comes from the time of the government of Álvaro Uribe. It has come to light since then, but it has also followed with the lehendakaris Juan Manuel Santos and Ivan Duque, who have gone ahead. Thus, they have obtained various benefits and interests. They say they were fighting crime, terrorism or insecurity, and with false witnesses they imprison anyone. The media, the police and the government have put public opinion against it and found it guilty before the trial.

Why did the process start against you?

Mine is just one of the many cases. This is a widespread campaign against various sectors: the popular and student sectors, and political opposition in general. And that's where we've fallen a lot. This is not an exceptional case, but in a way in which the State nullifies the Colombian opposition.

Many of the artifacts placed in recent years in Bogotá have been attributed to the People’s Revolutionary Movement (MRP). You are accused of being part of that movement. Without wanting to suggest this, can you explain what MRP is?

I and twelve other people have joined us with this movement. The MRP itself has stated that it is a new and independent organization. During the peace negotiations with the FARC-EP, exlehendakari Juan Manuel Santos has demonstrated against the neoliberal and violent agenda imposed. But the leftist movements and the official media spread a lot of ignorance and stigmatization about the people who accused us of being part of this organization — which they have not been able to prove. He was accused of being a movement financed by the extreme right, which had a direct link with the police and which was a group linked to the ELN. The organization has made official statements: To deny the installation of a bomb in the Andean shopping centre, for example. An interview was also given to a journalist, in which the journalist asked about me.

How has it affected you to spend 22 months in jail?

It always influences the fact of leaving jail and adapting to a new environment, even more coming here. Prison is a very violent environment in which the violence suffered by Colombian society becomes even more crude. It's all about managing violence. This is not healthy, because people get educated like this, and when they leave, they risk continuing to live in this logic. What’s more, you can end up incarcerating yourself, you can lose what it is, and that’s the most dangerous thing in my opinion. Physically you go hungry, you have to pay for everything, everything is lack, there's no water or light, but you can get used to that. The physical and psychological control that the prison exercises on individuals seeks political domination of this person. It's very strong. And many people, exhausted from jail, leave desperate. The key is to avoid it, otherwise it runs the risk of losing the north.

On 8 November, he left prison and remained in Colombia for five days. Why did he come here?

In Colombia, there were few guarantees to remain free and alive. I was very concerned that another process would open up to me, as has happened to others. When I was with the anti-terrorist police, I was suggested that my life was in danger. Moreover, one of them tried to torture me at the police station, but the other police who was there refused. My family, my friends, were also in danger. For example, they tried to make another montage for my partner. I also denounced the prison director, who accused me of carrying a hidden gun, and I was taken to jail. In general, the political situation was not very favourable.

He has spent a few months in Euskal Herria and is asking for political asylum. How's that going?

In May I have to present to the Spanish Government all the documentation explaining my case and I have to show that the State of Colombia is harassing me and that my life is in danger. It's a very bureaucratic process, but I've been told that most cases like mine are accepted.