The Government apologizes to the families of the victims of the Monbar Hotel for decades of "lack of presence" and "silence"

The Counsellorfor Justice and Human Rights of the Basque Government, Maria Jesús San José , addressed this Monday  to the relatives of the four people who were killed by the GAL in the attack on the Monbar Hotel in Aiona and "apologized" for the "lack of institutional presence and social silence that you have experienced over the four decades."

Counselor San Jose made these statements duringtheopening of the exhibition "Hotel Monbar, 1985. 40 years since the greatest massacre of GALs" at the Ernst Lluch cultural house in San Sebastian.

This exhibition was held at the initiative of the Gogora Institute, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the largest massacre perpetrated by theGAL. 1985On 25 September, two mertzenarios shot dead Agustin Irazustabarrena Urruzola, Inaxio Asteasuinzarra Pagola, Jose Mari Etxaniz Maiztegi and\u00Etxabin

The Chief Executive has admitted that his words "will hardly relieve" the pain of relatives, but has been convinced that "they are the first step in what I hope will be a long road."

San José has stated that the exhibition has sought recognition of thevictims   and their families. "It is necessary to be able to convey to society the cruelty and injustice of those murders. No one had the right to decide on the lives of others and it is not acceptable," he said.

In his speech, he has also assured that this initiative is intended to be a "firm denunciation and condemnationof the political authoritieswho, as persons mandated to protect and defend democratic values, decided to act outside the law, financing and maintaining a terrorist organization through the mechanisms of the State ".

"Nothing can justify, minimize or relativize the violation of human rights," said the counsellor, who has also addressed political positions that "spoke proudly and shamelessly of hurting so many people." His words have been "rejected" and "condemned." "They were only to create more pain, to undermine the credibility of our democracy and to tarnish the name of a political party that has roots in the defence of human rights and democratic values."

The director of the Gogora Institute, Alberto Alonso , thanks the families of the four victims for their joint work in carrying out the exhibition. "The initial normal mistrust has become a generosity that has been above all obstacles," he said.

In addition to the relatives of the four victims of Monbar, other GAL victims, ETA victims, institutional representatives and members of various political parties have attended the opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition will remain open in San Sebastian until 20 October. On 7 October, a colloquium will be held at the Ernst Lluch Cultural Centre to highlight the seriousness of the violence caused by the State and to denounce and highlight terrorism and its consequences.