"We have outsmarted the Government. Pedro Sánchez wanted a photo of me in jail, and we told him no," said the journalist celebrating the lifting of the arrest warrant
The freedom of the press has achieved a historic victory against the tyranny of the socialist government of Pedro Sánchez. This Friday, independent journalistVito Quiles voluntarily appeared at the courts of Plaza de Castilla, successfully persuading the judge of the 32nd Instruction Court of Madrid to immediately lift the warrant for his arrest.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Juan Gonzalo Ospina, the communicator demonstrated that he is not afraid of the maneuvers of an executive that uses institutions to silence its sharpest critics.
Upon leaving the courthouse, Vito Quiles took down the corrupt Pedro Sánchez with statements that have become a symbol of resistance: "We have won the battle against the Government. Pedro Sánchez wanted a photo of me in prison, and we said no. We do not accept this persecution. We have won".
The journalist denounced that the government's objective was to see him "in handcuffs" and entering "shackled in a cell" to fuel a media smear campaign, a plan that was shattered after his appearance.
During his statement, Quiles was emphatic in pointing out the double standards of justice under the regime of Sánchez. He criticized that while he is labeled as a "fugitive" or "runaway" for a minor case, figures like Carles Puigdemont are treated like the "neighbor from Waterloo".
"I can say that when I come here, I enter with my passport and leave with it. Others cannot say the same", he stated, emphasizing that the arrest warrant lacked legal grounds and was purely motivated by political reasons.
The technical details of the case confirm the arbitrary nature of the process. Although the judge has summoned Quiles as a defendant for the next July 20 at 12:45 PM, the arrest warrant was lifted upon confirming that the journalist was not attempting to evade justice, but had simply not been properly notified.
President Javier Milei and journalist Vito Quiles
The case in question stems from a publication about an advisor to the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, something that Quiles defends as true information protected by the right to information.
This episode is the climax of a political persecution that included a disproportionate police deployment at the EDA TV headquarters on Lagasca street, where officers attempted to execute the arrest last Wednesday without success.
The governmental harassment reached such an extent that the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, formally offered asylum to Quiles at the Argentine embassy in Madrid, acknowledging that the communicator is a victim of a genuine "judicial hunt" for his investigations into corruption surrounding Begoña Gómez and Pedro Sánchez himself.
Despite the government's attempts to suffocate him with up to 5 simultaneous legal cases —including investigations in Sevilla and Madrid driven by figures aligned with the ruling party like Rubén Sánchez from Facua—, Vito Quiles has made it clear that he will not take "a step back". The withdrawal of the arrest warrant is not only a personal triumph but a direct message to Moncloa: democracy and the right to information are walls that Sánchez's authoritarianism has not yet been able to break down.
