Carlos Garaikoetxea

A broad political and institutional representation of Navarre and the ACV has attended the funeral of lehendakari Carlos Garaikoetxea, including María Chivite and Imanol Pradales, who died last Monday at the age of 87 in Pamplona, where the funeral took place in the parish of San Francisco de Javier.

The burning chapel of the lehendakari Carlos Garaikoetxea has been opened at 10:00 in the palace of Ajuria Enea. Like the lehendakaris Juan José Ibarretxe, Iñigo Urkullu and Patxi López, representatives of all the Basque institutions and political groups have come to Ajuria Enea to acknowledge the contribution made by Garaikoetxea, as well as the citizens who have arrived from many places.

The remains of the president are already in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The burning chapel has been open since Wednesday morning in Ajuria Enea.

For example, he had a street in Vitoria in his name for only 28 days and the telephone company itself confirmed that he had had illegal eavesdropping.

The first Basque Government after the dictatorship had to manage a very different society. In 1981, one third of the population was born outside the Basque Country, half of them over the age of 18. There were many children on the streets, under the age of 14 24% of the population, but unemployment continued to grow.

A large representation of the Basque society will come to Vitoria-Gasteiz, to the Ajuria Enea Palace, to bid the last farewell to the lehendakari, Carlos Garaikoetxea, who will attend, among others, the Lehendakari, Imanol Pradalese, his three predecessors, the President of the Basque Parliament and the members of the Bureau.

A summary, in two words, of what will be news in the Present today.

The coffin will then be taken to the cemetery in Pamplona, his hometown, where the funeral will be held, thus giving the last farewell to the first president of democracy.

Iñigo Urkullu and Patxi López express their condolences and gratitude after the death of Carlos Garaikoetxea. The former lehendakari Urkullu declares himself "close" in his approaches to the Basque Country.

The Lehendakari has highlighted its contribution to the institutional declaration, the development of the Gernika Statute and the strengthening of the Basque institutions.

Garaikoetxea has left a great legacy, and his close friends and collaborators have spread messages praising his work. For example, Pedro Luis Uriarte, with whom he was Economic Advisor, has stressed that he had the courage to revive the people who were in the black hole, and that the Basques should be "very grateful."

The mourning period began on Monday and will end on Wednesday. The body will be in a Pamplona wake tomorrow, Tuesday, and on Wednesday the burning chapel will be installed in Ajuria Enea.

In a message, the president thanked his people for doing their best: "Thank you for giving us the best for the people and freedom you loved. We will not fail you."

The first president after Francoism was a person loved and admired by Basque society. The networks have been filled with messages of gratitude and homage as soon as the news broke.

A politician who played an indispensable role in the transition, one of his main responsibilities was to draw and build the structure of the Basque institutions. Disagreements with the PNV led him to create Eusko Alkartasuna. 

On 31 December 1982, ETB began its broadcasts with a message from President Carlos Garaikotxea, in which the President wanted to send a message of hope to the Basque society that was experiencing difficult times as a result of violence and economic crisis.

The tribute to the first president of democracy, Carlos Garaikoetxea, has been attended by three of his advisers, who have highlighted among the achievements of the time the bidegorris, the unified Euskera and the purchase of the Palace of Ajuria Enea.