Although the story was not published, a copy circulated in Iloilo but the friars could not prove that López was the author. He got into trouble for refusing to testify that certain prisoners died of natural causes when it was obvious that they had died at the hands of the mayor of Pototan. López continued to agitate for justice and finally went to Spain when threats were made on his life. López sailed for Spain in 1880. There he became a leading writer and speaker for Philippine reform. By this time, he attached his maternal surname permanently to his paternal one, becoming "López Jaena", in order to stick out from the many Lopezes. (If he had not done this, by modern Philippine naming conventions his name would now be interpreted as "Graciano Jaena Lopez" or "Graciano J. Lopez".) López Jaena pursued his medical studies at the University of Valencia but did not finish. Once Rizal reproached Lopéz Jaena for not finishing his medical studies. Graciano replied, "On the shoulders of slaves should not rest a doctor's cape." Rizal countermanded, "The shoulders do not honor the doctor's cape, but the doctor's cape honors the shoulders." He then moved to the field of journalism. Losing interest in politics and academic life, he soon enjoyed his life in Barcelona and Madrid. However, his friends forgave him these indiscretions due to his talent with words. Mariano Ponce who was another of the Filipino propagandists in Spain observed, "... a deafening ovation followed the close of the peroration, the ladies waved their kerchiefs wildly, and the men applauded frantically as they stood up from their seats in order to embrace the speaker." Rizal noted, "His great love is politics and literature. I do not know for sure whether he loves politics in order to deliver speeches or he loves literature to be a politician." In addition he is remembered by the Filipino people for his literary contributions to the propaganda movement. López Jaena founded the fortnightly newspaper, La Solidaridad. When the publication office moved from Barcelona to Madrid, the editorship was succeeded to Marcelo H. del Pilar. His talent can be seen in the publication "Discursos y Artículos Varios" (Speeches and Various Articles). López Jaena died of tuberculosis on January 20, 1896 in Barcelona, eleven months short of his 40th birthday.