Xavi Animal, as he seeks to make himself known, is a passionate activist and tattoo artist who dedicates his life to the cause of animals, defenseless beings that inspire him to give himself completely. With total commitment, he shares with us his tireless fight for a more just world. Every action he takes is a manifestation of his firm purpose to improve the conditions of those who cannot speak for themselves.
Xavi, was there any personal experience that prompted you to become an animal activist?
More than anything specific, it was time and realizing that animals really need a lot of help. I realized that what I did for them was not enough and that activism and raising awareness were essential. Over time, I learned more about the subject and discovered what actions were useful to help, and I applied them day by day. Although I continue to grow, learn and do more with each passing day.
I must say that since I was little I have been obsessed with animals. I remember going to the forest to look for insects, amphibians, everything… And as the years went by, I met people who dedicated themselves body and soul to animals, also discovering other ways to help.
We know that you have had confrontations with poachers, bullfighters… We have also seen you protest at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium. Have you ever feared for your life?
No, personally, I don’t feel much fear about what might happen to me in life. However, I constantly experience fear because of the injustice I perceive and the suffering of animals.
When I reflect on it, that’s where a feeling of indignation and fear arises at the situation: “Damn, how bad everything is, how unfair, how scary!” It is precisely from this realization of reality that my impulse to fight and protest arises, not so much because of what could happen to me. At the end of the day, I live very well and I am happy every time I jump into a bullring, even if I receive blows, because I know that I am fighting for a good and my physical integrity does not worry me too much. In the end, I’m not going to be a father and I have no other responsibilities, so I can take risks in every protest. In that sense, I’m not afraid of what might happen to me.
And, what would you say is the greatest action you have taken?
I believe that, due to difficulty, daring and obstacles, it was the jump to a bullring in Guadalajara (Castilla-La Mancha). Yes, because there were police in the area and it was not only about having the courage to jump, but there were also obstacles.
That action was really dangerous. It’s not that I’m afraid, but damn! Whole cans were falling from the top of the square and if one had hit me on the head, it would have killed me, it would have split my head open. Or if she had hit me in the eye, I would have taken it out; If she had hit me in the nose or mouth, it would have destroyed them.
The truth is that it imposes a lot… What is the purpose of jumping into the square?
Well, to begin with, you have to wait to jump until the bull is killed… since you can’t do it while the bull is alive. While I was waiting, my blood was boiling… it’s very shocking what they do to the animal. I wish I had the strength to stop it myself. But if you jump with the live bull, in addition to risking your life, the accusation that you could receive for endangering lives would be incredibly serious and, furthermore, it would be of no use.
For me, thinking that there is no better way to live than fighting for a more just world is what moves me. So as soon as an injustice arises, I have every reason to act. In the end, the objective of that action is to expose that truth outside the bullring, since inside it I don’t think anything will change… Well, who knows, there were thousands of people, even boys and girls whose parents force them to attend from a young age. If children cover their eyes so as not to see what is happening, I have seen how they take their hands away, it is incredible…
Then there are also people who are traumatized and do not want to return, and many people have told me: ‘Hey, they took me as a child and it traumatized me, and I no longer wanted to return.’ We also have cases of people who simply end up being bullfighters. In those squares people are very insensitive and aggressive. Let’s remember that they are enjoying the pain of an innocent. For me, people who rejoice in the suffering of an innocent animal that does not want to be in the square is the worst thing in the world.
That day they threatened me and kept me for a long time in a room in a corner of the plaza, while the bullfighters and bullfighters looked out because they knew I was there and told me ‘come, come!’ while they threatened me with their finger, making the gesture of cutting my throat… And I’m not afraid of them, but these people are the same people who later become hunters, who get drunk, who consume drugs, who are racist, who are sexist, who in their house attacks his wife and children. Everything is very connected. They are people who, for the simple fact of enjoying bullfighting, then it costs them nothing to also apply it to people. And if they have dogs, their dogs. In short, they are bad people.
I understand, as you mentioned, Xavi, that you seek legal advice before carrying out any action of this type.
That day he was accompanied by another well-known activist named Peter Janssen, who has jumped more than 80 times around the world, either alone or with more people, in places such as Latin America, France and Portugal.
Peter knows well how it works: when you jump without attacking, that is, peacefully, you are exercising your rights to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration. By jumping with a sign, in reality, it is the bullfighters who should receive complaints.
They threw cans and tried to hit me, cause harm, and those people should be the ones who receive complaints. Realistically, I know that the full weight of the law will fall on me. Fines can range from €150 to €60,000, so we’ll see what kind of fine they give me… For example, Peter has always been given light fines, although it’s possible that if you jump into the same square repeatedly , the fine may be larger.
Before jumping, Peter told me to follow the police if they asked me, not to try to run away or resist. After finishing the show, I looked for the National Police because the bullfighters were trying to do me a lot of harm. So I followed the police to take me outside and away from everyone. It was at that moment when I experienced the biggest problem. In addition to the fact that they were beating me in front of the police and they did nothing, they reported me for assaulting authorities, although I did nothing. I was with my fists in front of my face, as Peter had advised me: ‘Xavi, when the police catch you, don’t keep your hands behind you because they can hit you in the face or knee you… Cover your face with your hands clasped and go crouching following the police’. That’s what I did and, suddenly, they detained me without informing me that I was detained, without giving me reasons or anything like that…
They took me to the police station and suddenly they told me: ‘You have the right to a lawyer.’ I managed to get a lawyer and they informed me that he was being reported for assault on authority, alleging that he had punched a police officer and that he had broken her cell phone. The truth is that this is a real shame…
Let’s hope that the complaint does not succeed, because it is already too much… You are going out to fight for a more just world and the octopus falls on you, while nothing happens to those people. They’re coming right for you, you know? And let the police themselves do it… let the bullfighters do it, I understand, I already imagined that they were going to hit me, although not that they were going to throw cans at me. That was really dangerous… I didn’t expect it, but that they could punch me, hit me with sticks, hurt me, yes, I was mentally prepared, but wow, that the police abused me like that, that really didn’t make me happy. …
How has your anti-poaching experience been?
It has been much calmer. The poachers join together, in groups, and when we catch one, maybe it’s a coincidence, but when every night we are discovering several poachers, they start to say ‘hey, tonight they caught this one, this one, this one. , this. Damn, the next day they caught this one, this one, this one, this one!’ So, in the end, they know that there is a type of research, of activism behind it and they know what group we are. They know that we are CABS (Committees Against Bird Killing), a German organization that operates in 10 different countries.
I have simply been a volunteer; I have never been paid. I have participated to understand how this little world works, and the truth is that it is much calmer, since you are the one who goes incognito, and it is the poacher who draws attention. At night, they use birdsong to lure them and trap them illegally in prohibited places, including protected species. They do what they want…
Have you ever faced them?
The maximum moment of tension that I have experienced was when the poachers, knowing that we were chasing them, went around at night to see if they could find us, and we crossed paths with them. But I know of other fellow activists who have been attacked, whose cars have been burned… Luckily, they are full-risk rentals, since CABS, the organization, is professional and does incredible work.
What exactly do you do against poaching?
We work at night and we know how to detect poachers. We listen to the songs in the field where they usually hunt, we look for clues and we stay awake all night. The timing issue can be tough, since we start at 12 at night and don’t stop until 8 or 10 in the morning. It is a brutal lack of control. You are tired, but you go around, you find them and at that moment you have to call SEPRONA, the authorities.
Typically, poachers are charged with a serious crime, and the severity varies depending on the traps they use, the number of animals hunted, among other factors.
What do poachers usually hunt?
In this case, they were birds. Poaching can be about anything. In fact, at those times we would also hear poaching in the distance during the day. There were people who hunted after hours because we heard four shots, when the regulations establish that there can only be three shots. Four shots in a row are considered poaching; It means that the shotgun has been modified.
Although for me, in the end there isn’t much difference between normal hunting and poaching. It is a very big nonsense; They lose control of ecosystems, despite the fact that they later put on medals saying that without them there would be overpopulation. They are the first to kill predators. Who killed the wolf? Who killed the lynx? Who killed the bear? Who killed the birds of prey?
The 1903 regulations, made by and for hunters, stipulated that money was paid for each wolf, bear, lynx that was hunted… and they were on the verge of extinct everything. Luckily, in 1970 it was changed.
What do you think of hunting in general?
I am against everything, but since poaching is illegal you can go after them. But for me, legal hunting is just as bad… It’s very complicated and you have to pressure the authorities and educate people. Above all, put pressure on people to stop accepting hunting. There are many people who, for example, are not hunters nor do they like animals being killed, but they say ‘it is necessary, if there is no overpopulation’, it is in those cases that we must educate.
It was the hunter who created this lack of control. If you remove the hunters and support biologists and scientists, wolves and other natural predators will return, and the entire nature will be balanced. Not just a species like wild boars or rabbits.
Now, in Aragon, for example, an association wanted to reintroduce the Iberian lynx, because in the southwest, that is, in Andalusia, Extremadura, up to Madrid and Castilla y La Mancha, the lynx has been spreading. On the other hand, in the northeast of the peninsula, that is, Catalonia, Aragon, the Basque Country and Navarra, there is not a single lynx.
So, in Aragon there are natural areas where studies indicated that it was very viable to introduce the Iberian lynx, and they wanted to carry it out, but they have canceled it because the hunters have shouted to the sky saying that if they reintroduce the Iberian lynx they will prohibit the hunting of rabbits and hares, and they don’t want that. So, I ask: aren’t hunters the ones who say they control ecosystems? How dare they cancel a project like reintroducing the Iberian lynx, which would also bring in a lot of money?
We don’t just talk about animals. I live in Catalonia and I travel a lot, but if I find out that there are lynxes next door, in Aragon, I’ll go see them. It would attract a lot of tourism, everyone wins, it would only affect the hunters…
Xavi, tell us, is there a story that you remember with happiness?
Yes, there are actually several. Well, first of all, every time someone tells me that he has become vegan for animals and that he has been thanks to me for what I show and transmit; That is an achievement that makes me very happy.
Another thing that I hold in my memory with great appreciation, even though I am just a tiny grain of sand in the desert, is the prohibition on hunting the Iberian wolf. Until three years ago, it was legal to hunt it. The hunters went out and shot down the predator in charge of regulating the Iberian ecosystems. There were very few left and they were concentrated with very little genetic availability, that is, among first cousins. And that is a problem. They didn’t have availability, and if a big disease came, it was over… So, now they managed to prohibit hunting and I was very supportive of the groups that have achieved it.
It is true that it has also been achieved through politics, but those who put pressure are the associations and organizations. So I was supporting them, making them known, donating money and my support. Let’s be honest, I have almost nothing to do with it and it probably would have been done anyway, but I was pushing too, so I feel very proud.
And well, in addition to that, I also feel proud of some rescue, of having saved the lives of animals that were going to die. Saving innocent lives is a wonderful thing…
Another case that moves me every time I remember is when we released an Iberian imperial eagle that is in danger of extinction; although it should be classified as critical, but this is also due to interests… And I was very supportive of those who rehabilitate and recover these species that do brutal work. They are called AMUS, in Extremadura. The work they do is spectacular. I was supporting them a lot and they were raising funds for a hospital-operating room for the birds, because until then they had to travel by car an hour and a half to Badajoz (Extremadura) and then return…
In a week of tattooing non-stop, I raised more than 2,000 euros. And just at that moment they were going to release an Iberian imperial eagle, which attracted a lot of attention because it only had one claw after getting stuck in a fence. And poor thing, when it became gangrenous, they had to amputate it… Once it was operated on, they told me ‘Xavi, we want you to be the one to free it’. I was very excited! They even suggested that I name it after her and I chose Lluvia because she is something very important, a treasure.
At that time, people criticized us saying that he was going to die because he only had one claw and couldn’t hunt. Therefore, I want to add that this animal can survive only on carrion, that is, even if it does not hunt, being an imperial eagle, wherever it goes, others stay away. These magnificent birds know how to see where there is carrion by the shine transmitted by the feathers of the crows’ wings and the crows go to the carrion.
But I have to say that the strongest and most incredible thing is that Lluvia has been in points where there is no carrion, we were able to verify it with a locator. That’s how we know she’s hunting. The first month she flew 4000 kilometers, so she has been eating well and has energy and vitality. I consider it a brutal achievement and I feel part of it.
We have seen on your social networks that you have a very active life. What is an average day in Xavi’s life like?
The truth is that I can’t stop saying it, I would like someone to accompany me all the time to inform and show how I live, because for me every day can be very different.
One day I can be in the city, calm, relaxed, creating and editing videos with my mobile to upload to social networks, because I need to reach a lot of people. But I almost always move non-stop, everything I do is fight for animals, whether raising awareness, doing activism, tattooing and donating money, talking to people, promoting fundraisers, going to sanctuaries… My life is non-stop. , every day is very different. So I couldn’t tell you, there is no routine, but there is a daily and constant struggle.
In the end, everything is measured in commitment and I am truly committed. I wake up thinking about animals and I go to sleep thinking about them, about how to help. It’s my fight. I also fight for human rights, obviously, I don’t conceive of any injustice, but damn, animals are the biggest victims in history. We treat them like merchandise and I can’t stand it. We ourselves are the problem, the causes. So every day I’m thinking about what I can do to change that.
In addition to being an activist, you are a tattoo artist and you donate practically everything you earn, living on the bare minimum. How do you decide what percentage of tattoo money to donate?
That’s something I really like to tell, because there are people who have now started to discover me online and are starting to donate a little, and I think it’s cool. But I’m sure I’m the one who started this tattoo donation movement, since I didn’t know anyone who did what I do.
It all started in the United States. I tattooed and made a lot of money there. I was in California and I could easily earn $10,000 in one month. So I went and came back to Barcelona with a lot of money… I earned a lot of money and didn’t spend, so I accumulated and accumulated money. And I thought ‘I don’t want the money. I don’t like money. And what do you want to do in life, Xavi? I want to help animals!’
Well, at that time I saw an organization, I think it was the Marley Wolf, an association that had been denounced by hunters. A €60,000 complaint for having broken an illegal hunting hut, imagine! There is something illegal and instead of the police taking care of it, you take care of it and on top of that they report you. It’s very strong… Well, I said ‘damn, I’m going to donate something!’ And I donated €100. But I said ‘that’s bullshit, I still have a lot of money…’
Then the Amazon fire came and I donated €300. But I still had a lot of money, I lived well with very little and I continued accumulating bills and thinking ‘this is paper, I don’t want it’. And the last straw was when I was in Miami and I tattooed a man for ten hours, $200 an hour, in one day I earned $2,000. So I said ‘it’s over, I have to donate some of it’. And to start I donated 25%, $500, but I still had 1,500 left… But I kept thinking ‘no, no, I need to donate more, I don’t want more money, I don’t want more’. And that was the last tattoo I did in the United States, then I returned to Barcelona and continued tattooing. Here I charged 300-400 euros per session and I donated 50%. But in my head I kept thinking ‘I’m still making a lot of money and I don’t want any more money.’
So I decided to donate 75% and keep the remaining 25%. That’s when I found stability by donating 75%. If in a session of €400 I donate 300 and I keep 100, if I do several sessions, two or three a week it is still a lot of money with €100 per session. But I have to tell you that today it has gotten worse, I charge more. I have a lot of work, although being so involved with activism doesn’t give me much time to tattoo, and that’s why right now I’m donating 80% and keeping 20%.
But the truth is that I have never spent much because I am anti-consumer, I am an environmentalist and I don’t spend on anything. At most I’m going to eat something plant-based (products or foods made exclusively with ingredients of plant origin), suitable for vegans.
In the end, I enjoy tattooing, moving; I really enjoy living like this, with very little. I don’t need money to enjoy.
You are honored by what you do, Xavi. Once you decide what percentage you donate, how do you choose the organizations you give the money to?
The process of finding organizations was also a learning process and to this day I am still learning. At first, you end up donating to the most famous and biggest, which are the ones who don’t need help. I even donated to WWF and Greenpeace. Fortunately, I learned quickly and started supporting smaller places. I also donated to Sealegacy at the beginning, which does a lot of work, but is from Canada and has considerable resources. They even have millionaires who donate money to them. My €300 doesn’t do anything, you know? They are pocket change for them.
Later I became more informed and delved deeper into the subject, reaching smaller organizations. So currently, I donate almost all the money to associations that are very small, with few resources and that have brutal commitment and impact.
These associations are formed by biologists and scientists who are not known, who have hardly any support and who do spectacular, truly brutal work. And there, I can talk to them directly, and they tell me that they are super grateful, and that my money helps them carry out their projects.
What is the most money you have ever earned from a tattoo and donated?
Let’s see, that depends on the sessions; One thing would be a session and another thing would be an entire back, for example, which is many sessions.
But this summer I had a very heavy case. A German girl wanted to get a tattoo with me in Spain and I told her it was €500, of which we would donate €400. But I took the opportunity to go to Germany and told her ‘hey, I’m in Germany where they charge more, I’ll charge you something more’. I told him about 800 euros, of which I would keep 100 and we would donate 700. When it came time to pay, I asked the studio where it was, which is from a vegan who gave me free space and is super friendly: ‘hey, just for ‘How much do you charge for a tattoo like this in Germany?’ And before she answered me, the girl told me: ‘I’m not going to pay you 800, I’m going to pay you 1200.’ I was amazed! 1,200 euros in five hours. So I took €200 and donated €1,000.
Then I have done tattoos, which have been a whole arm or a back and there are many sessions, many hours and I have donated about €1,200 – €1,400. Now I’m making a whole back of a bear and I’m going to donate €2,000 and I’ll keep €500. It’s quite heavy, but of course, there are more sessions, it’s like putting together several tattoos.
Xavi, if someone reading this interview wanted to start donating, which association would you recommend?
A few months ago, I finally created my own animal organization, which focuses on raising funds and then donating them to associations I know.
In the end, there are many people who follow me and don’t know where to donate. They explain to me, ‘Xavi, I donate every month to Greenpeace or WWF,’ and I quickly tell them not to donate there, please. So I encourage you, if you don’t know where to donate, to donate to Jaguart. I make sure that all the money, without keeping a cent, reaches associations like Rangers, in Africa, who are on the front line against poachers, risking their lives. We also donate to associations that rescue wild animals that have had accidents with fences, power lines or vehicles. They rehabilitate them and release them. In addition, we support biologists and scientists who do not interact directly with animals, such as wolves, using cameras and trapping to study problems such as poachers, poisons or accidents, providing them with more tools for research.
With Jaguart, I am dedicated to observing personally with my own eyes and applying my knowledge, contrasting with biologists and scientists. I don’t trust someone who simply tells me ‘Xavi, I rescue animals’. Oh, very good! I have no idea who you are… But when four or five biologists tell me ‘this place is amazing’, that’s when I say ‘okay!’. I’m going to know it first hand and contrast it. It’s not just that four or five biologists recommend it to me. When well-known people from different places tell me ‘they do brutal work in this place’, that’s when I decide to visit it.
I also want to emphasize that I do trust and support those who, under my evaluation and knowledge, do great work. I look for those who are responsible, committed, where I can see that the leader does not have a good car, but rather he spends all day helping the animals. When someone dedicates all of his time to caring for animals, it is obvious that he has no time or interest in spending money on other things. It’s those types of people I really like to support, those who spend their entire day dedicated to animals.
I want to express my pride because Mari, the singer from Chambao, whom I have admired for years, is a Jaguart ambassador. This fills me with happiness!
Take note! Xavi, how did you decide to dedicate yourself to tattooing? Did you learn on your own or did you attend a drawing academy?
Since I was little, I was passionate about drawing. I was good at it, and by constantly practicing, I improved my skill. However, I took a qualitative leap when I immersed myself in the world of graffiti. At 16 years old, I began to draw intensely, experimenting with paint and colors, trying realism. I challenged myself and sought greater challenges, such as making portraits, which led me to continually learn and improve.
That’s when my friends told me, ‘Xavi, you should become a tattoo artist, since you like to travel and draw.’ When I turned 18, they bought me some tattoo equipment. So I started tattooing them. The truth is that I am surprised at how good they turned out; Years later, I look at them and say, ‘fuck!’
Living in an increasingly environmentally conscious world, do you use sustainable materials for your tattoos?
Sustainable and, above all, without animal exploitation. There are people who keep stating, based on what they have seen online, that there are no inks suitable for vegans, that they all contain charred animal bones, pigments, etc. Well, today, with the technology available, the best brands are of plant and mineral origin. They do not contain anything of animal origin and are not tested on animals. In fact, the ink par excellence has always been, called Dynamic, is of mineral origin and completely free of animal components.
Additionally, the creams I use are vegan-friendly, non-exploitative, and free of animal testing. The containers where I store the ink are made from recycled sugar cane, instead of being thrown away, thus contributing to sustainability.
And the plastic I use is usually biodegradable. However, the environmental impact of a tattoo, which is for life, is relatively low in material terms. The impact is probably more significant depending on what you eat, as that would have a greater impact than a tattoo that lasts a lifetime. So, even if it is not completely sustainable, its impact in terms of materials would not be very significant.
What would you say to someone who has doubts about veganism?
I have been vegan for about 8 years and I am still learning a lot. First of all, I would tell you that veganism is not simply a lifestyle, but an ethical position against the use of animals for our benefit, since today it is not necessary. I’m not saying that in the past they weren’t necessary for survival, but in today’s society, they are no longer necessary.
Another situation is that of someone who lives in the Amazon or in tribes in Africa or Asia; In those cases, I don’t get involved. But people residing in towns and cities, with access to supermarkets and gardens, the vast majority of the human population today could adopt veganism and thus show respect towards all animals. In the end, that’s what it’s about: respecting all animals, treating them as beings, not as objects.
You have to keep in mind that when you pay, for example, to wear leather, eat meat, or use products that have been in animals, even if you say you love animals, you are contributing to their use and exploitation.
I used to be like that myself; He said that he loved animals while consuming plenty of meat and wearing leather. But, of course, when someone tells you, ‘Hey, connect!’, this piece of meat is the body of an animal. They had to kill him. Someone who feels and wants to live, just like you and me.’ Animals feel and want to live. We are animals, with two eyes, a brain, a nervous system… Basically, we are equal and deserve respect. If necessary, I would say ‘okay, I accept it’, but I haven’t exploited animals for eight years, I’m alive and healthy.
What do you think about the new Animal Welfare Law?
Honestly, I don’t see anything positive. On the contrary, I really dislike it because it is focusing too much on one type of animals, specifically dogs and cats, and also, they want to help those who are already protected. For example, my dog ??lives an excellent life and is a free animal who shares her life with me as my companion. I agree that animals that are already living well have certain requirements, such as having insurance and not being able to be left alone, but they are focusing too much on a few cases and not on abolitionism. They are not working to end animal exploitation. Farms and slaughterhouses continue to operate at 100%, even more so every day, and that is not addressed in the animal welfare law.
And then we have hunting dogs, which are the most affected, racing competition dogs, breeding dogs, guard dogs; Those are the ones who are in the worst conditions and need help, but are not protected. Therefore, every time I see something related to politics, I notice a lot of economic interests, and in the end, all these laws are created by humans, for humans and for the benefit of humans, not for animals.
Xavi, we don’t have a crystal ball, but how do you see the future of the planet?
It’s fucked. We are in the sixth mass extinction, and it seems that human activity is seriously affecting life on Earth. In the last 50 years, we have devastated around 70% of the fauna, both terrestrial and marine. Macro fishing nets have caused the extinction of approximately 90% of marine species, including sharks and whales.
They are deforesting more every day, even though it is said that we are more aware. If you compare the way of life of our grandparents, who did not usually have a car, lived in the countryside with their garden and ate animals sporadically, the impact was quite small. On the other hand, we today, with the constant acquisition of new mobile devices, new clothes and a variety of means of transportation such as scooters, motorcycles and cars, each human being contributes significantly. Furthermore, the world population has reached 8 billion people.
So I firmly believe that this is collapsing and that it will collapse soon. Despite this, although the world may be on the brink of collapse tomorrow, that does not mean that I will become callous or stop fighting. Even if they told me ‘Xavi, tomorrow the world is going to explode and everything you do will be of no use’, I wouldn’t stop doing what I do.
Let’s close this magnificent talk with a trip to the past. If you could talk to your five-year-old self, what advice would you give him/her?
Damn… I’m not sure I’d give you advice. I have always thought that we should make mistakes and learn from them. On the contrary, if the five-year-old Xavi saw the Xavi of today, he would be very proud, just as if the ten-year-old Xavi saw the current Xavi, he would also be proud.
And when I was a kid, I’m sure, because of the way I was obsessed with animals, that if that little guy saw who I’d become, he’d be very proud.
Sometimes they tell me, ‘Xavi, don’t do this because you’re going to make a mistake.’ Well, allow me to make mistakes. What I am not going to do is be part of an injustice, and that is a mistake I have made. That’s why every time I realize that something I’m doing is wrong, I try to correct it immediately.
I want to talk about environmentalism; For example, an avocado has a very big impact on the planet, just like quinoa, coffee, chocolate… I do not consume any of these products; I inform myself and say ‘it’s not good, so I don’t consume it’. Furthermore, clothing also has a great environmental impact; It is the second most polluting industry in the world. Brands like Shein, Zara, Bershka… these cheap brands that are bought have a very big impact.
Another example is that when I found out that airplanes polluted so much, I stopped taking them. I have to say that I used to travel a lot before.
I don’t want to be hypocritical, I don’t really deprive myself of anything. I still wear clothes, but they are from people who no longer wear them. Look at my sneakers, they are destroyed, they are more than a year old; I found them on the street.
Xavi shows me the shoes he is wearing with the sole completely removed…
Now, a colleague told me, ‘Xavi, look at how your shoes are!’ I have some that I don’t use, here.’ This way I don’t contaminate.
So, returning to the question, yes, I regret things and I would change aspects of the past, actions that I have done wrong. But as soon as I realized that they were wrong, I changed. I have always been open to change and improve. So I would encourage people to be open to change and if something is wrong, change your perspective.
Do you want to send a message to readers?
I would like to talk a little beyond my actions, about activism in general. Unfortunately, there are many people who think that being an activist means being very extremist, very radical… But I see it from another point of view. Thanks to activism, there is some justice. So I invite everyone to participate in activism, to be aware that taking action is very important. If we see an injustice, let’s act in some way. Obviously, if it’s dangerous, still don’t get wet, but try to do something.
Speaking of animals, we know that they are being ruthlessly exploited. If people who say they love animals look for a little information about what is behind this exploitation, they will find it. In this case, the way to act would be to stop exploiting them to begin with.
I believe that we should not only fight for a better world, but also stop being part of the problem. If something is unfair, wrong and not necessary, let’s change it!
If you see someone being attacked, you have three options: join in and participate in the aggression, do nothing, or decide to take action against that injustice. The same thing happens with animals. If you are consuming meat, you are contributing to violence. If you do nothing, the situation persists. The other option is to say, ‘okay, I’m going to take action,’ for example by stopping eating meat.
