VIDEO: Victim of Basque terror group ETA says 'not renouncing terror is a great mistake'

​A Spanish victim of paramilitary violence has addressed Monday’s European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism gathering at Stormont: Inigo Pascual.
By Adam Kula
Published 11th Mar 2024, 17:18 BST
Updated 11th Mar 2024, 18:24 BST
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His father Angel Pascual Mugica was driving to work at a nuclear power company in 1982, and was giving his son Inigo a lift to the bus on the way.

ETA opposed the nuclear power firm, and while on the road the car was surrounded by gunmen.

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Though his English is good, he opted to speak about the day of the killing via a translator.

Inigo Pascual speaking in the Senate Chamber of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast, during an event commemorating European Day of Remembrance of Victims of TerrorismInigo Pascual speaking in the Senate Chamber of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast, during an event commemorating European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism
Inigo Pascual speaking in the Senate Chamber of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Belfast, during an event commemorating European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism

“They started shooting from three angles at my father: the front windshield, the side I was sitting on, and the back,” he said.

"It lasted 20 seconds. I knew I’d lost my father. I can still remember his voice, but I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.

“Death and shootings and assassinations are not necessary.

"We have to protect the victims with justice, honesty and truth.”

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ETA officially dissolved in 2018, after killing roughly 900 people in its fight for autonomy for the Basque region.

Told that Sinn Fein has never renounced the crimes of the IRA, he said: “I think not renouncing the terror is a great mistake… society must be with the victims, not with the murderers.”

As to what the situation is like in Spain, and whether there remains much support for ETA, he said: “Yes. It’s more than 250,000 that today supports, politically, ​ETA.

"ETA has a political party called Bildu that is increasing in Spain – increasing the number of supporters.

"It’s very hard for victims. It’s really hard to listen to that. We expected just the opposite: the number of terrorist supporters to drop.”