Jota Ramos – Cleared of All Charges
- 22 hours ago
- 7 min read
“Fear Cannot Become Silence”
Art, Racism, Resistance and the Fight for Justice in Colombia
On February 27, 2026, Colombian artist and social leader Jota Ramos was definitively acquitted of all charges related to a drug trafficking case that had kept him under judicial restriction for nearly three years. In its ruling, the Twentieth Criminal Court of Cali absolved Ramos on the basis of “reasonable doubt,” ordering the removal of all remaining restrictive measures and the definitive closure of the case.
For many in Colombia’s cultural and human rights sectors, the verdict was not simply the end of a legal process. It was confirmation of what artists, activists, and supporters had argued from the beginning: that the case reflected a broader pattern of criminalisation disproportionately affecting Afro-descendant leaders, socially engaged artists, and communities historically pushed to the margins.
Ramos — born Jhon Javier Ramos Laurido — is a member of the Colombian Pacific musical collective Haga Que Pase (“Make It Happen”), a project whose work sits at the intersection of music, theatre, memory, and social justice.
Emerging from Colombia’s Afro-Pacific region, Haga Que Pase creates music that blends urban sounds with Afro-Colombian folkloric traditions, while confronting issues of inequality, dignity, racism, corruption, and collective resistance. Their performances move between concert and theatrical ritual, inviting audiences into narratives rooted in community memory and popular struggle.
The collective has long worked through participatory artistic practice in defence of human rights and the dignity of life itself — an approach that made Ramos both an important cultural voice and, some argue, a target.
Since 2008, Haga Que Pase has also been connected to the global anti-corruption movement Fair Play, after being selected to perform at the International Anti-Corruption Conference in Denmark. Fair Play is an international network of young artists using music to confront corruption, impunity, and abuse of power through performance, storytelling, and artistic activism. Through festivals, global competitions, and local artist-led events, the movement amplifies voices speaking truth to power from communities directly affected by injustice.
Today, following years marked by detention, threats, surveillance, and public scrutiny, Ramos is speaking openly — not only about his acquittal, but about racism, institutional violence, artistic responsibility, and the power of collective memory.
IN conversation with jota ramos
Following his acquittal, we spoke with Jota Ramos about racism, artistic resistance, institutional violence, and the role of music in confronting injustice.
“This experience changes how you understand justice, dignity and resistance.”
Q: Congratulations on your definitive acquittal. How are you feeling after all this time and all that you have gone through?
Jota Ramos:
“First of all, I feel a mixture of relief, gratitude, and deep reflection. These have been very difficult years, marked by uncertainty, pain, and emotional exhaustion. Fully regaining my freedom and clearing my name represents an important victory—not only for me, but also for all the people who supported me and believed in my innocence.
At the same time, this experience leaves scars that transform the way one understands justice, dignity, and resistance.”
“My case is not isolated.”
Q: Do you feel your case reflects structural failures within the Colombian justice system, or do you see it more as an isolated experience?
Jota Ramos:
“I do believe my case reflects structural failures within the Colombian justice system. I do not see it as an isolated incident. Many people—especially Afro-descendant youth, social leaders, artists, and people from working-class communities—face processes shaped by prejudice, stigmatisation, and a lack of legal guarantees.
My case exposed how certain narratives can quickly turn into criminalisation when someone challenges power or denounces social realities through art.”
“Racism often operates through automatic suspicion.”
Q: You have spoken about the impact of racism on your experience. In what ways do you think your identity influenced how you were treated during the process?
Jota Ramos:
“My Afro-descendant identity deeply influenced the way I was treated. Racism often does not appear explicitly, but rather through stereotypes, automatic suspicion, and forms of dehumanisation. I felt there was a tendency to associate my image, my music, and my critical discourse with danger or criminality. This shows how structural racism continues to operate within many institutions and also within sectors of society.”
“Even in confinement, one can resist through memory, words and art.”
Q: How did the 15 months of house arrest transform you on a personal, creative, and emotional level?
Jota Ramos:
“The 15 months of house arrest transformed me profoundly. Emotionally, they were moments of anguish, helplessness, and isolation, but also of introspection and spiritual growth. Creatively, the experience forced me to look inward and transform pain into a tool for creation. I learned to value freedom in a much more conscious way, and to understand that even in confinement one can resist through memory, words, and art.”
“Celdas del olvido” — transforming trauma into collective memory
Q: In “Celdas del olvido,” you transform your experience into art. What is your intention or ambition with this project?
Jota Ramos:
“‘Celdas del olvido’ was born precisely from that need to transform a traumatic experience into collective memory and artistic testimony. My intention is for the project to help make visible the stories of so many people who suffer injustice and who are often rendered invisible by the system. I also want it to become a space for reflection on freedom, racism, institutional violence, and the power of art to heal and resist.”
“Art can challenge structures.”
Q: As an artist, do you feel a special responsibility to represent the experiences of those who do not always have a voice?
Jota Ramos:
“Yes, I feel a great responsibility as an artist. Art does not only entertain — it can also open conversations, challenge structures, and accompany social struggles. I come from historically silenced communities, and for that reason I believe it is important to use my voice to represent experiences that often have no space in traditional media or official discourse.”
“The damage had already been done.”
Q: After everything you have lived through, what is your relationship today with state institutions? What do you believe can be done to repair systems when they fail?
Jota Ramos:
“My relationship with institutions today is complex. On one hand, I regained my freedom through institutional mechanisms; but on the other, the human, emotional, and professional damage had already been done. I believe repairing systems means acknowledging mistakes, guaranteeing fairer processes, and confronting structural racism and corruption. It also means listening more closely to affected communities and genuinely protecting human rights.”
“Collective support became protection.”
Q: What role did your community and support networks play throughout this process?
Jota Ramos:
“My community and support networks were fundamental. Without the support of my family, friends, colleagues, social organisations, and people standing in solidarity both inside and outside the country, it would have been much harder to endure. In moments when it feels like the system wants to isolate you, collective support becomes a form of emotional, political, and spiritual protection.”
Walking the memory of the Afro-diaspora
Q: In your project “Walking the Afro-Diaspora Memory,” what discoveries or connections impacted you most deeply?
Jota Ramos:
“‘Walking the Afro-Diaspora Memory’ allowed me to connect deeply with the roots, resistance, and shared memories of Afro-descendant peoples. One of the most important discoveries was understanding how experiences of exclusion and resistance repeat themselves across different territories, but also how there is an immense cultural strength that survives despite centuries of violence and erasure.”
“This reaffirmed my commitment.”
Q: Now that you have regained your freedom, has your long-term artistic and political vision changed?
Jota Ramos:
“Yes, definitely. Today my artistic and political vision is even more conscious of the importance of memory, dignity, and the defence of human rights. This experience reaffirmed my commitment to an art form that engages with social realities and contributes to building critical thought and community.”
“A person’s life can be destroyed before a conviction even exists.”
Q: What kind of justice or reparation do you believe is necessary beyond your legal acquittal?
Jota Ramos:
“Beyond legal acquittal, I believe comprehensive reparation is necessary. That includes public acknowledgement of the harm caused, guarantees that this will not happen again, and real support for rebuilding the lives and projects that were affected. I also believe it is important to open broader discussions about how the judicial and media systems can destroy a person’s life even before a conviction exists.”
“Fear cannot become silence.”
Q: You have faced threats in the past. How are you managing your personal safety today while remaining visible as an artist and activist?
Jota Ramos:
“Security remains a sensitive issue. I have learned to take precautions and to surround myself with people and organisations that accompany these kinds of processes. But I also believe fear cannot become silence. Remaining visible as an artist and activist is part of my way of resisting and defending the right to free expression.”
“Artists must not be criminalised for their lyrics.”
Q: How can people and institutions support artists like yourself, who are persecuted because of their music and lyrics?
Jota Ramos:
“People and institutions can support artists like me by creating safe spaces for critical art, protecting freedom of expression, and avoiding the criminalisation of artists because of their ideas or lyrics. It is also important to build solidarity networks, provide access to cultural platforms, and create protection mechanisms for those facing persecution or threats because of their artistic work.”
“Silence strengthens impunity.”
Q: What is your message to other artists who are speaking out and fighting against corruption and for justice?
Jota Ramos:
“My message to other artists is: do not lose your voice or your conviction. Art has enormous power to denounce injustice, preserve memory, and awaken collective consciousness. I know that speaking out can bring risks, but I also believe silence strengthens impunity. It is important that we protect one another, build community, and remember that our stories and our struggles also deserve to be told.”
At a time when artists across the world increasingly face censorship, criminalisation, intimidation, and violence for confronting corruption and injustice, Jota Ramos’s story resonates far beyond Colombia.
His acquittal closes a legal chapter. But his broader struggle — for memory, dignity, artistic freedom, and racial justice — continues.
And through Haga Que Pase, that struggle remains musical, collective, and defiantly alive.
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