FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 95 - ENGLISH

46 11M AFFECTED BY TERRORISM ASSOCIATION S ome journeys are much more than a geographical displacement. They are encounters for sharing similar wounds, spaces where memory finds shelter, and moments when remembran- ce becomes a form of justice. The recent visit by the 11-M Affected by Terrorism Association to Oviedo was precisely that: a day of coexistence, tribute, and com- mitment to the memory of all victims of terrorism. The capital of Asturias welcomed thir- ty survivors and relatives of those mur- dered, who shared experiences, visited the city, and, above all, found a space to continue building a community based on mutual support. For those who have suffered terrorist violence, coexistence is not a supplementary activity; it is part of the repair process itself. The 11-M Association has always defen- ded this idea. Since its creation after the March 11, 2004 attacks, it has worked not only for truth, justice, and reparation, but also to build spaces where victims can meet and feel understood. The visit to Oviedo is fully part of that philosophy. A MEMORIAL FOR ALL VICTIMS The most significant moment of the day took place beside the Monument in Me- mory of the Victims of Terrorism in the Vallobin neighborhood. A tribute was held there, bringing together members of the association, institutional representa- tives, and citizens who wished to accom- pany the victims in an act of collective remembrance. In her remarks, the president recalled the profound meaning of this encounter: co- existence helps repair invisible wounds, and memory keeps alive the remembran- ce of those who are no longer with us. She also stressed that remembering is a way of defending the true account of what happened against the passage of time, disinformation, and forgetting. The Oviedo monument is not dedicated to one terrorist organization or one spe- cific attack. Its plaques bear hundreds of names of people murdered by different forms of terrorism. Before that memo- rial, the association sought to remember all victims without distinction, while especially citing those it represents: the victims of March 11, the attacks in Barce- lona and Cambrils, and the El Descanso restaurant attack. The reading of names was one of the most moving moments of the ceremony. They could not all be named. There are too many. And precisely that impossibi- lity recalls the magnitude of the tragedy that terrorism has left in Spain over deca- des. Nevertheless, pronouncing some of those names made it possible to symbo- lize all the others. As was recalled during the event, naming them keeps them alive in memory. BEHIND EVERY NAME THERE IS A FAMILY One idea ran through the entire day: vic- tims are not figures or statistics. Behind every name there is a personal story, a life project interrupted, and a family that continues to face the consequences of violence. That reflection also appeared in the co- verage of the tribute by Asturian media. One of the most repeated messages du- ring the day was that behind every name engraved on a memorial there is a family forever marked by loss. Absence never disappears completely. With the passing of years one may learn to live with it, but it remains present. The testimonies shared during the event demonstrated this once again. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and children re- membered those murdered, while survi- vors also explained how terrorism forever changes the lives of those who remain. Suffering does not end when press head- lines disappear or television images fade. It continues for years, sometimes for an entire lifetime. The victims spoke precisely of that every- day reality: visible and invisible aftereffects, physical injuries that still accompanymany, health problems caused by trauma, the di- fficulty of rebuilding personal and family projects, and the need to continue finding spaces in which to share these experiences. Account of the Day of Coexistence and Memory of the 11-M Affected by Terrorism Association, May 23-24, 2026 OVIEDO, SHARED MEMORY against forgetting ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS