The King thanks the Fundación Víctimas del Terrorismo for its commitment to reinforce memory and create a better society

MADRID, 14 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

King Felipe VI wanted to thank the winners of the Fundación Víctimas del Terrorismo for their commitment to reinforce the memory of the victims and create a better society while commemorating the 'Spirit of Ermua' that emerged in Spanish society after the assassination of the councilor of the PP at the hands of ETA in 1977, Miguel Ángel Blanco.

This is how the monarch expressed himself this Wednesday during his speech within the framework of the annual awards of the Victims of Terrorism Foundation, in which he also emphasized the "reinforcement" of the memory of the victims that will continue with the consolidation of the Memorial Center project with the new headquarters that will be opened in the old CSIC building on Duque de Medinaceli street, in Madrid.

"It is an excellent location in keeping with the values ​​that the victims represent and I wish the Memorial Center as much success with this new museum as the one it has had at its headquarters in Vitoria-Gasteiz", underlined Felipe VI.

On another point, the Head of State wanted to remember Miguel Ángel Blanco, whose kidnapping and murder gave rise to a solidarity movement that, "out of indignation, rejection and pain, gave rise to the 'spirit of Ermua', with the that Spanish society unanimously said enough to terrorist barbarism", he recounted.

Likewise, the King has highlighted "the courage" of the then mayor of Ermua, Carlos Totorika, who has been awarded for his career by all the "civic movements that were pioneers at the time in the defense of freedoms and in public support for the victims of terrorism".

Likewise, the Head of State thanked the winners and the victims present at the event one by one. "You dignify our democracy; your pain and that of your families is important to us and concerns us; you permanently deserve all the respect and maximum attention", he has settled.

The Victims of Terrorism Foundation has presented its annual awards sponsored by the Ministry of the Interior and the Community of Madrid at the Mutua Madrileña Auditorium in Madrid, this time jointly with the Mutua Madrileña Foundation, which in its 19th edition have gone to the Spirit of Ermua, Adolfo Suárez Human Rights Defense Award; in the journalist Arantza González Egaña, Diario Vasco, Fernando Delgado Journalism Award and, in this 2022 edition, Special Mention Award to the Rapid Action Group (GAR) of the Civil Guard.

The King was accompanied at the ceremony by the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the Minister of Justice, Pilar Llop, and the president of the Victims of Terrorism Foundation, Tomás Caballero.