FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 94 - ENGLISH

24 GRAPO MADRID EXHIBITION A DIFFICULT JOURNEY Life without his father became a difficult journey. His mother, a housewife, was left alone with four teenagers and didn’t know where to start, as all the paperwork and responsibilities had previously fallen to Casimiro. For years, the children supported their mother almost as much as she support- ed them. “She looked after us, of course, but we relied on her a great deal. She died two years ago, with- out ever having fully come to terms with the loss,” explains Pilar. Furthermore, they received no in- stitutional support. They received neither help nor recognition, be- cause “back then, the word ‘victim’ didn’t even exist. It was justified: they wore a uniform; it was part of the job,” says Pilar. No one spoke of psychological support or of how to live with the trauma of a violent death. Support came much later, through the Association of Victims of Terrorism, where she found sup- port and a space to share experienc- es with those who had been through the same thing. “At the AVT, I have always felt supported and under- stood,” she emphasises. Fifty years on, the memory of her fa- ther lives on in the family. Pilar never stopped talking about him to her chil- dren and, when they were old enough to understand, she told them in detail the truth about what had happened to their grandfather. That absence and the pain she had to endure still weigh heavi- ly on her life, and that is why she neither forgives nor forgets: “They snatched the life of an exceptional person, and, with it, they took away all the moments we could have shared.” Moreover, the col- lective silence pains her; after visiting schools and colleges to share her experi- ence, she has found that many students know very little about the history of the GRAPO victims. “My father died just like so many others, at the hands of ter- rorists. The acronyms shouldn’t matter,” says Pilar. That is why she takes part in events and gatherings, convinced that memory is also defended by raising one’s voice. When addressing the younger generations, her message is clear and simple: “Let them know the truth, no more and no less; let them understand that there were different violent groups and that all victims deserve respect.” Pilar’s commitment to keeping her fa- ther’s memory alive reached a special mo- ment when she saw her story reflected in the exhibition “Fifty Years of Lead, 1975– 2025. The Bloody Path of GRAPO”. She attended the opening at the Memorial Centre for Victims of Terrorism in Vito- ria, where she was moved: “It was comfort- ing to hear people speak of my father and to see him recognised as he deserved.” The journey was not an easy one: for years she had avoided travelling to the Basque Country because of the mem- ories it stirred up, but she finally de- cided to go. She arrived just in time, toured the city with a strange feeling and returned home deeply moved: “I was so glad I went. The Memorial Centre is an impressive place that honours those who must not be forgotten and that everyone should visit”. Pilar’s memory holds the closest and most personal recollections. Sometimes she imagines that impossible reunion with her father and acknowledges with a touch of melancholy: “If I could sit down and talk to him today, it would take hours. I would thank him for the life we shared, tell him about his grandchildren and all those important moments when I missed his embrace.” She still remembers him as a close and attentive father, always ready to listen, and adds: “That’s just how he was.” Fifty years have passed, but for Pilar the memory remains vivid: “Whatever hap- pens, I will keep fighting so that themem- ory of my father is never forgotten”. EDUCATION, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY LIFE