After the outbreak of the Civil War, he led the confederal militias of Ronda. Later he commanded the «Pedro López» column, which acted in the area of San Pedro de Alcántara. A small column, made up of anarchist militiamen, it resisted the nationalist forces and also began repression against the right-wing in the towns of the Serranía de Ronda. At the beginning of 1937, after the conquest of Malaga by the nationalists, he withdrew with his forces to Almería. Later he became part of the political commissariat of the People's Army of the Republic. He came to serve as commissar of the 42nd Division and of the 61st Mixed Brigade.