The communicator and agitator Vito Quiles, who has several open cases and against whom, this week, a judge has issued an arrest warrant for failing to appear for two summons in a lawsuit for an alleged crime against the honor of a public official, has chosen Juan Gonzalo Ospina Serrano as his legal representative. Who is this lawyer, better known as Juango Ospina?
A criminal lawyer by training, Ospina is the managing partner of Ospina Abogados and one of the most recognizable legal faces in the Spanish media ecosystem. A law and political science graduate from ICADE, he founded his own firm in Madrid in 2016 after specializing in Criminal Law since 2014. He also served as a member of the Governing Board of the Madrid Bar Association between 2018 and 2022 and even ran for the deanship of the ICAM.
His profile combines three traits: a criminal lawyer for complex cases, a lawyer highly exposed on television and social media, and a defender of clients with a strong media impact. Juango Ospina has also collaborated as a legal analyst on programs for TVE, Telemadrid, Antena 3, La Sexta, Cuatro, TRECE TV, and programs associated with the journalist Ana Rosa Quintana.
Vito's Lawyer
Ospina has now become a central figure in Vito Quiles' legal defense. The lawyer has publicly argued that the arrest warrant against Vito Quiles is a "disproportionate" measure and has maintained that there are "spurious interests" to portray Quiles "denigrated and handcuffed." The order against his client comes from Court of Instruction number 32 of Madrid and aims for Quiles to testify as an investigated person. Once he does, the order itself anticipates that he will be released.
The professional relationship with Quiles is not limited to this episode, where he acts not only as technical defense but also as a spokesperson to the media, constructing a narrative of persecution, judicial disproportion, and violation of the right to defense. Ospina had already intervened in other proceedings linked to the same client. In March, Court of Instruction number 23 of Madrid rejected a restraining order requested by analyst Sarah Santaolalla following an altercation outside an event at the Senate.
In addition, in April, Confilegal reported that Ospina would appear as Quiles's defense in the case for alleged defamation and slander against Rubén Sánchez, secretary general of Facua. The magistrate had prosecuted Quiles, considering that his messages and publications were not protected by freedom of expression, and Ospina announced an appeal with the argument of separating freedom of expression and freedom of information.
Quiles also has open cases for an alleged crime against the honor of a public official, for revelation of secrets and harassment against Beatriz Corredor, and for a complaint by Renfe for alleged fraud.
Other well-known cases of Juango Ospina
The case that has most projected Ospina so far is that of Daniel Sancho. Ospina represents in Spain the victim's family, Edwin Arrieta, the Colombian surgeon murdered and dismembered in Thailand by Sancho. After Sancho's life sentence, Ospina acted as spokesperson for the family and argued that the sentence recognized the thesis of premeditated murder.
He has also handled the defense of the alleged Spanish hacker known as “Lacoste”, accused in France of cyberattacks and extortion of companies. French justice released him provisionally while the investigation continued.
Another high-profile case linked to the Ospina Abogados firm was that of the actor Juan José Ballesta, investigated for alleged sexual assault. The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence.
Ospina also represented the footballer Raúl Asencio, from Real Madrid, in the case for the alleged dissemination of a sexual video with a minor, although the player later changed lawyers and was defended by the club's legal services.
Between the courtroom, television, and public opinion
Ospina's public image is closely associated with the media defense of his clients. He himself has explained in interviews that he "defends people, not crimes," a formula that summarizes his public strategy: separating the criminal accusation from the investigated person and focusing on the presumption of innocence, procedural guarantees, and the proportionality of judicial measures.
That exposure is precisely what has made him an attractive lawyer for cases with high political, judicial, or television noise.