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La Razon, July 11, 2017
Like other top Spanish newspapers, Madrid-based La Razon used its front page Tuesday to pay homage to Miguel Angel Blanco, a day ahead of the 20th anniversary of his murder by the Basque terrorist group ETA on July 13, 1997: “We are all Miguel Angel Blanco,” the daily’s front page reads.
Blanco, a young local politician, was killed at age 29 by the radical separatist organization. Kidnapped on July 10, 1997, Blanco was shot with two bullet in the head despite mass public protests calling for his release, after the Spanish government refused to comply with the demand of the terrorist group to transfer some 500 ETA prisoners to jails in the Basque region within two days.
The impact of his death triggered international condemnation, and led to violent backlashes against ETA in Spain. The tension rose particularly high in the Basque city of Pamplona where riots broke out between supporters and opponents of the separatist group.
Ultimately, the assassination of Blanco is cited by many as the beginning of long, slow loss of support for the radical Basque group. On April 7, 2017, ETA announced its decision to give up all its weapons and explosives and officially become an unarmed political organization.
