Ernesto Sobrino was a Colombian communist and a liberation theology priest.
Sobrino ran the Los Altos communa, where he gave shelter to several communist fugitives who were on the run from the Colombian Army and several other right-wing paramilitaries. One such communist he sheltered was Elisa Álvarez, who was a member of the M-19 guerrilla organization responsible for the Palace of Justice siege.
The US Colonel Louis Wysession, who was in-charge of tracking down communists, believed that Sobrino and Alvarez were involved in the siege. Elisa managed to disappear, but Sobrino eventually found himself in CIA custody, where he was waterboarded by Wysession and a CIA officer. Sobrino initially resisted torture, but eventually gave in and revealed that Elisa had fled the country with the help of DEA agent Steve Murphy's wife, Connie.