Spanish jazz guitarist Pere Soto was arrested and held in a jail cell when he tried to re-enter the U.S. from Mexico. He remains shocked and traumatized by his treatment by U.S. officials.
The Catalan has a Gypsy-jazz band, "Django's Castle," and has played in challenging ensembles which include jazz artists David Douglas and Dave Liebman,
In my original reporting on the incident, he told me:
The moment they caught me, was like the criminal movies. They said to me, "If now you just move a little we're gonna kick you and put you on the ground in pain...well other words...but something like that...very violent. I didn't get scared because I knew what they were trying to do to me psychologically...to put you down and start saying things. But they didn't know I was long time ago a chess player...so I got the mood...don't be scared...and look all of them in their eyes..like showing them you are a strong personality and telling the truth all the time...you never have to let them intimidate you...but they tried.
He was deported in chains.
Yesterday , he told me he has not gotten over his treatment (cleaned up a bit...English is not his first language):
I have a post-traumatic psychological effects. Who would like to come back to a place that threatened you as almost a criminal? Even with my legal Visa, they still can forbid me to get in...so nobody can guarntee you re-entrance safely...100%...so it's to risky...has to make sense enough to try again. I will wait...for the right occasion. Still I'm under investigation.
Chase bank canceled my account without my permission in Portland...and I couldn't get my money from them. They finally sent me a check...to Mexico...but it took forever...almost 5 weeks...and checking dates on the envelope, comparing dates with the bank records...there are 20 days the check was in the USA...but where? ...very suspicious.