Helplessness, disgrace and oblivion. The victims of the victimizers-victims

Abstract

Franco’s dictatorship created an environment conducive to the emergence of revolutionary ideas and the justification of political violence. Part of the social discontent was channelled through terrorist organisations of the revolutionary left, as the regime repressed demands for rights and freedoms. Among them, ETA became a reference point for rupturism, thanks to the strategic selection of its victims and the media impact of its attacks. The glorification of the members of these organisations as revolutionary fighters influenced the public perception of their actions, which was justified in some sectors of the opposition. The action-reaction-action strategy promoted by ETA led to increased repression by the regime, which executed two ETA members and three FRAP members in September 1975. If the victims of terrorism lacked legal protection, media visibility and social support, the situation was even worse for the victims of the perpetrators - victims who were consigned to oblivion. At the same time, their alleged murderers were elevated to the category of myth without any critical examination of their actions.