FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 94 - ENGLISH

43 whywe are here again, in the Forest of Re- membrance, renewing our commitment. Renewing our commitment to thememo- ry of what happened and of those who are no longer with us, to the truth that must never be distorted, to the dignity that no one must violate, and to the justice that the victims deserve." For her part, Ángeles Pedraza said that "being the mother of someone who is no longer here forces you to live with a void that no one can fill. A void that hurts every single moment, but which also reminds you that their life, though short, had a profound meaning. Today I speak as a mother. I never, ever forget that I am Miryam’s mother and that this is the reason I am here. That is precisely what made me, 22 years ago, a victim of terrorism, like many of the people here with us today. And precise- ly because I speak as a mother, I also have the right to complain and speak out as any other citizen. I’m sure you’ll all agree on one thing: over the last year, though this is nothing new, the Govern- ment, which should be protecting us, has turned its back on us. The way it dis- regards us has now reached the point of wanting to wipe us off themap. How we are ignored, how we have no say in the release of the murderers of our loved ones, how, quite simply, we count for nothing in this country. We, the victims of 11M, believed that the jihadists would SCAN THE QR CODE TO DISCOVER ALL THE AVT’S ACTIVITIES end "with Spain… and no, friends, it’s going to be a Spaniard. Pedro Sánchez." In addition to the main event held in the Bosque del Recuerdo in Reti- ro Park, commemorative events took place in other parts of Spain where the AVT has branches: Logroño, Zarago- za, Badajoz, Toledo, Granada, Oviedo, Argamasilla de Calatrava, the Canary Islands, Seville and Motril. THE AVT HOSTS ITS 16TH MEMBERS’ MEETING More than 250 victims of terrorismfromall cor- ners of the country gathered today at the Parque de Atracciones inMadrid for the 16th National Members’Meeting, an event that has become an unmissable fixture in the Association’s calendar. It began, as is only fitting, with a moving min- ute’s silence for all victims of terrorism. This year’s event was attended by the AVT’s President, Maite Araluce; the AVT’s Honorary President, Ángeles Pedraza; the AVT’s Director, Miguel Folguera; the Secretary General, Nar- cisa López; Board Member Lucía Ruiz; several delegates from the association; and hundreds of members from all over Spain. During her speech, the President of the AVT stated: "Today we have gath- ered for more than just to spend a day together. We have gathered to remind ourselves that no victim of terrorism is alone, that we continue to walk togeth- er, supporting one another through our grief, but also through life, through hope and in the defence of our mem- ory. You know that for some time now, our journey has not been an easy one. We have faced cuts that directly affect the comprehensive support we provide and activities that are of immense value to us all. But you also know — because we have always demonstrated this — that the AVT never gives up. That in the face of every obstacle, we keep our eyes firmly fixed on who we are and what we stand for.” During lunch, a video was shown sum- marising all the activities carried out by the association during 2025. After the meal, the traditional raffle took place, which on this occasion featured a wide variety of prizes. Afterwards, Christmas presents were handed out to the children, who were then able to have their pho- tos takenwith various characters from the park. With them and the final hours of enjoying the attractions, the 16th Na- tional Meeting of AVTMembers came to an end – a day for socialising and remem- bering the victims of terrorism. The AVT is the largest association of vic- tims, with over 4,900 members. The space currently allocated to us in this magazine is undoubtedly insufficient for the number of activities and ini- tiatives we carry out. We are therefore obliged to share the following QR code. ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS