On June 10, 1984, ETA carried out an attack against the Guardia Civil barracks in Elorrio. John Raya, who was on guard duty, was wounded by shrapnel. After recovering from his injuries in Barcelona, Juan Raya returned to Elorrio to complete his one year of service in the Basque Country. Many years later, he has continued to suffer from the psychological consequences of the attack.

In 1968, María Teresa Castells and Ignacio Latierro opened the bookshop, Lagun, in the Old Quarters of San Sebastian. From the beginning, they had to overcome the Francoist censorship and attacks by right-wing groups. In the 1980s, they begin to suffer the violence of radical Basque nationalists. In 2000, the bookshop closed following an attack by ETA against María Teresa's husband, Jose Ramon Recalde.

In the municipal elections of 2003, he was elected councillor in Eibar and his life changed when he needed an escort. On July 25, 2008, he received news that ETA had been tracking him for several months in order to kidnap and assassinate him. Having a body-guard thwarted the terrorists' intentions.