On 13th March, 1976 an ETA terrorist got into the taxi driven by Cristian Matías’s grandfather, Manuel Albizu. The family continued living in the village of Zumaia. Although Manuel Albizu’s funeral was fitting and well-attended, nothing has been done in recognition of him since and the perpetrators of the crime have never been found.

PERSONAL DATA:

Name: Cristian Matías Albizu

Age: 31 (1981)

Profession: Clerk

Family status: Single.

Place of origin: Zumaia (Gipuzkoa).

GROUP: Relatives of Victims (Basque victims of Terrorism Association - Colectivo de Víctimas del Terrorismo - COVITE).

BACKGROUND

- On 13th March, 1976 an ETA terrorist got into the taxi driven by Cristian Matías’s grandfather, Manuel Albizu. On reaching the destination he requested, the terrorist shot Albizu from behind, killing him instantly.

- The family continued living in the village of Zumaia. Although Manuel Albizu’s funeral was fitting and well-attended, nothing has been done in recognition of him since and the perpetrators of the crime have never been found.

CONSEQUENCES

“On 13th March, 1976, my grandad, Manuel Albizu Idiáquez was in his taxi when a taxi was ordered by a person who he took to the suburb of San Prudencio in Guetaria (Guipuzkoa).”

“This person turned out to be an ETA terrorist who shot my grandad from behind and he died on the spot.”
“My grandad was somebody who just did his job, he didn’t have any sort of political connections, and he was never threatened or looked like he was worried about some sort of threat.”
“His body was found inside the vehicle with the engine still running by a couple passing by who informed the police.”
“My grandad was well-known in Zumaia because he had previously worked as a local police officer. His home was very close to the Civil Guard barracks and the Civil Guard officers and their families would always use his taxi service out of trust and closeness.”
“This is why a rumour started going around the village that my grandad gave information to the Civil Guard about people and places…etc. that were connected to the terrorist world. This was completely untrue but at that time any excuse was a good one.”
“ETA claimed responsibility for the killing through a French press agency some days later.”
“In those days, in the middle of the transition period, there was no institutional support for victims of terrorism, no help, there were no associations and we’ve never found out who the perpetrators of the murder were and no investigations have ever been carried out.”
“Fortunately, unlike other victims of that time, my grandad had a decent and well-attended funeral, although he’s never been remembered since and no tributes have been paid to him.”
“The sad and daunting thing is having the feeling that my grandad died in a traffic accident or under some other circumstances.”
“To this day, the matter is still unclear, there has been no conviction and it’s not known if there were any arrests and the little we do know has come from our own enquiries and having to find out for ourselves in the media and newspaper archives.”
“Time goes by and after more than 30 years, the victims from that period, the ones that suffered the most and were abandoned, ignorant of the criminal and judicial situation of their cases are also the worst treated by the new state law for the support of victims of terrorism.”
“We, his relatives, still reside in the same town and live a totally normal life.”

“On 13th March, 1976, my grandad, Manuel Albizu Idiáquez was in his taxi when a taxi was ordered by a person who he took to the suburb of San Prudencio in Guetaria (Guipuzkoa).”

“This person turned out to be an ETA terrorist who shot my grandad from behind and he died on the spot.”

“My grandad was somebody who just did his job, he didn’t have any sort of political connections, and he was never threatened or looked like he was worried about some sort of threat.”

“His body was found inside the vehicle with the engine still running by a couple passing by who informed the police.”

“My grandad was well-known in Zumaia because he had previously worked as a local police officer. His home was very close to the Civil Guard barracks and the Civil Guard officers and their families would always use his taxi service out of trust and closeness.”

“This is why a rumour started going around the village that my grandad gave information to the Civil Guard about people and places…etc. that were connected to the terrorist world. This was completely untrue but at that time any excuse was a good one.”

“ETA claimed responsibility for the killing through a French press agency some days later.”

“In those days, in the middle of the transition period, there was no institutional support for victims of terrorism, no help, there were no associations and we’ve never found out who the perpetrators of the murder were and no investigations have ever been carried out.”

“Fortunately, unlike other victims of that time, my grandad had a decent and well-attended funeral, although he’s never been remembered since and no tributes have been paid to him.”

“The sad and daunting thing is having the feeling that my grandad died in a traffic accident or under some other circumstances.”

“To this day, the matter is still unclear, there has been no conviction and it’s not known if there were any arrests and the little we do know has come from our own enquiries and having to find out for ourselves in the media and newspaper archives.”

“Time goes by and after more than 30 years, the victims from that period, the ones that suffered the most and were abandoned, ignorant of the criminal and judicial situation of their cases are also the worst treated by the new state law for the support of victims of terrorism.”

“We, his relatives, still reside in the same town and live a totally normal life.”