Historical Memory

Hotel Monbar, 1985. 40 years since the largest massacre of GALs, the representative of the Egiari Zor Foundation, which works for the rights of victims in the States, has taken the floor attheopening of the exhibition.  has called for attention to"serious human rights violations that have occurred in this country, regardless of the source of the violence they suffered ".

The Justice and Human Rights Counsellor has apologized to the families of the victims murdered 40 years ago by the GAL at the Monbar Hotel in Baiona for "the lack of institutional presence and social silence of four decades." 

Counselor Maria Jesus San Jose has also condemned the statements made by several former politicians and said they only served to "cause pain, undermine the credibility of democracy and tarnish the acronym of a political party with roots in the defence of human rights."

According to Sortu's Secretary General, "the Spanish Government is facing an historic opportunity to provide a democratic solution to the Spanish problem."

EHKS held a political event this afternoon in Zarautz on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the shooting of ETA members Juan Paredes' Txiki 'and Ángel Otaegi, who paid tribute to those who fought against Francoism and stressed that an anti-fascist struggle is still needed today.

It is half a century since the Franchists shot Jon Paredes' Txiki 'and Angel Otaegi . For a long time, their relatives have been working hard not to lose their memory. They have felt very forgotten by the institutions, because those two young people who fought against the Franco dictatorship were not recognized as victims until 2012.

The PNV and the PSE-EE claim to be victims of Francoism, but call for terrorism not to be blurred. EH Bildu defends their memory as a "reference" for the fight against Francoism and calls for the PP to remember the "crimes" they committed.

Four people were shot dead and one fifth injured. Years later, the perpetrators of the murder, two mercenaries from Marseille, were tried. During the trial, the Spanish state secret services confessed to hiring them, but this investigation was closed for lack of evidence.

"Txiki and Otaegi were shot by the Franco government, they are victims, and they received an unacceptable violation of human rights, but this anniversary cannot be used as an instrumentalization," said Maria Ubarretxena, spokesperson for the Basque Government at the press conference following the government meeting.

EITB has visited the interior of the symbolic building No. 11 of Marceau Avenue in the heart of Paris. The jeltzales have celebrated the recovery of this distinctive building, which was the seat of the Basque Government in the United States, "as an act of restoring justice and historical memory".

The building on Marceau Avenue hosted an emotional event on Saturday, attended by the current president of the EBB, Aitor Esteban, and the former president of the EBB, Andoni Ortuzar, who managed to recover the building during his tenure. Hori was accompanied by lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, and several councillors of the Basque Government.

Several councillors of the Basque Government and jeltzal leaders will take part in an event in the French capital to celebrate the restoration of the building that was confiscated from the first Basque Government during the Nazi occupation in 1940.

The decision is based on the Foral Act amending the Historical Memory Regulations to introduce a specific provision on the monument, which obliges the monument to be given a new meaning, limits its uses to the purposes of education and democratic memory, and provides for the removal of elements of Francoist exaltation.

The city reaffirms its commitment to democratic memory and recognition of those who suffered violence, repression and exile during the 1936 military coup and the years of dictatorship. Municipal authorities, associations, institutional representatives and citizens participated in the event.

With these resolutions, 84 persons have already been recognized as victims of political violence under the Foral Act /2019. 

On 27 September, it will be 50 years since they were shot, and the party has called for participation in the commemorative event to be held in Pamplona. On those who claim that these acts cause "pain", Sortu believes that there are still "primary and secondary victims".

The relatives and political representatives of the 51 Republicans killed by the Franchists have gathered again to pay tribute to the 89 anniversary of the massacre, intellectuals and prominent leaders of Republicanism and Trade Unionism in Pamplona.