He traveled to Paraguay to investigate allegations of corruption against Governor Diego de los Reyes Balmaseda.
He defended his position even against explicit instructions from the Viceroy of Peru to hand the Governorship back to Reyes, and rallied the militia to fight off attempts by Spanish authorities to push him out of power.
He was public prosecutor before the Real Audiencia of Charcas (Alto Peru, now Bolivia) in charge of protecting the Indians.
His instructions were to investigate charges made by the cabildo (city council) of Asunción against the governor of Paraguay, Diego de los Reyes Balmaseda.
Foolishly, he went to the Audiencia of Charcas to plead his case before his old friends and coworkers, but they were not going to protect him from the orders of the Viceroy.
Mompox somehow escaped or was released in 1730, and made his way to Paraguay, where he stayed with and befriended Fernando Curtido, one of Antequera's allies.
Mompox asserted the assent of the people as the basis for all political power, and did so in easy-to-digest popular speeches that common uneducated folk could follow along with.
Mompox quickly became the most influential person in the region, capable of rallying large groups of armed colonists to his cause, and helping ensure that the newly appointed governor for Paraguay, Ignacio de Soroeta, would be refused entry.
Antequera's lenient treatment ended; he was chained to a cell and refused permission to have visitors or talk with anyone other than the authorities.
The head of the Real Audiencia of Lima searched Antequera's cell and said he found a letter from Mompox to him, proving that he was continuing to instigate problems and spread treason.
When Antequera was brought to the Plaza de Armas, where he was to be beheaded, the crowd assembled there demanded his pardon and threw stones at his escort.
In 1778, King Charles III of Spain annulled the verdict against Antequera, declaring him a good and loyal minister.