Experience on the Ground Does a Little Unwoking

 Estíbaliz Kortazar Errecatxo is a 48-year-old left-wing political activist and teacher from Basauri (Basque Country), Spain. She gained international public attention in 2025 after a situation involving a migrant tenant turned into a severe housing dispute. 

Background in Politics & Volunteering

• Political Activism: Kortazar has a history of left-wing and environmentalist political involvement. She ran as a candidate for the ecologist party Equo (in the 2011 national elections and 2020 Basque Parliament elections) and for Podemos (in the 2023 Basauri municipal elections).
• Charity Work: As a volunteer working with NGOs, she actively collaborated in platforms dedicated to assisting refugees and immigrants. 

The "Inquiokupa" Incident

• The Arrangement: Acting on her humanitarian principles, Kortazar rented a room in her 55-square-meter apartment to a 48-year-old North African immigrant in late 2023 through a social program. 
• The Conflict: Shortly after signing the one-year rental contract (for €350 a month), the man's behavior allegedly became aggressive and disruptive. Kortazar reported enduring continuous insults, misogynistic remarks, sexual insinuations, intentional property damage, and psychological harassment. 
• Squatting & Eviction Difficulty: When the contract ended, the tenant refused to leave. By early 2025, he stopped paying rent and became an inquiokupa (a tenant who stops paying and refuses to vacate). 
• Police & Legal Response: Despite filing a formal eviction order and repeatedly contacting the police, authorities were unable to intervene without a court order, a process complicated by Spain's eviction laws. Kortazar was forced to flee her own home in mid-2025 and move in with family due to overwhelming fear and deteriorating mental health. 

Public Impact

• The highly publicized case sparked widespread debate about tenant rights versus property owner protections.
• Following her ordeal, Kortazar started a petition to urge authorities to fast-track legal procedures for these types of evictions. 

An eviction order was issued in March 2025, but he remains as a squatter ("okupa"). No public updates on resolution since late 2025;