“I had a glimmer of hope that they would not commit such an atrocity,” explained the Minister of Culture and spokesman for the Basque government in 1997.
Euskaraz irakurri: Mari Karmen Garmendia: “Zentzu pixka bat, I really hope”
Mari Karmen Garmendia She was Minister of Culture and spokesman for the Basque government in 1997, when the ETA kidnapped Miguel Ángel Blanco Garrido. I was in Chillida-leku when the Lehendakari Jose Antonio Ardanza I called him to relay the news of the PP councilor’s kidnapping and asked him to “make an official announcement through EITB asking the kidnappers for his release”.
He did so immediately and set up his makeshift office in Miramon, in Euskadi Irratia, from which he experienced the first moments of those 48 intense hours, in which they expected “a thread of common sense” from ETA. “I had a shred of hope that they wouldn’t commit such an atrocity,” he explains.
His role at the time was to empathize with the family, as they were “alone” at many times, without the support of the leaders of the People’s Party in power.
As Garmendia recalls, Miguel Ángel Blanco’s mother was “not a woman of many words.” In the words of the former aid worker, her job at the time was to be with the victim’s mother: ‘the contact, the companionship and being close to her’.
He has “very clear” memories of that time, especially those who “made fun of that family that suffered.” In this chapter of podcast remember them by name and surname respond to the Questions from Maite Mayo
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Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
