FUNDACIÓN VÍCTIMAS DEL TERRORISMO 95 - ENGLISH

77 TESTIMONY I deeply respect victims who have deci- ded to forgive. Each person manages pain in the way they believe is best. In my case, I am not able to do it. I cannot forgive those who decided to end my father's life and those who planned that attack. I do not believe there is real remorse on the part of those behind it, and honestly, I could not forgive them. WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE ASSOCIATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS OF VICTIMS OF TERRORISM? I believe they play a fundamental role. From the very beginning, they were the- re beside us, supporting and guiding us when we needed it. They also carry out essential work to keep the memory of victims alive. Thanks to them, people continue to speak about what happened, preventing these stories from disappea- ring with the passage of time. DO YOU THINK NEW GENERATIONS REALLY KNOW WHAT HAPPENED ON MARCH 11, 2004? I have my doubts. I think it is an uncom- fortable subject and that society often prefers not to look at it. That is precisely why I consider educational and memory initiatives so important. As the years pass, there is a risk that everything beco- mes blurred and seems distant. However, for those of us who lived through it, it re- mains a very present reality. WHY ARE TRIBUTES AND REMEMBRANCE EVENTS IMPORTANT? Because I believe it is essential for me- mory to remain alive. It is not about living anchored in the past, but about remembering what happened and trans- mitting it to those who did not experien- ce it. I would like my children and any young person who did not live through those events to know what happened and understand the human consequences. In the end, it is part of our history and should not be forgotten. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR FATHER, AND BY EXTENSION ALL VICTIMS OF TERRORISM, TO BE REMEMBERED? As innocent people whose lives were cut short by terrorist barbarity. Above all, I would like what happened ne- ver to be forgotten. I believe that as a society we have an obligation to re- member and to do everything possible to prevent something like this from happening again. My wish is that no one ever has to go through what we went through. IF YOU COULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR FATHER TODAY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO HIM? Nothing would be enough. I would tell him what our life has been like all these years, I would tell himabout his grandchildren and everything hemissed along the way. Above all, I would tell himhowmuch I would have liked him to be able to accompany us for longer. Because nomatter howmany years pass, I am always left with the feeling that we had far too little time together. WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR GRANDFATHER? I tell them what he was like, the things he enjoyed, and the person he was. I do not want him to be for them only someo- ne who died in an attack. I want them to know that he was cheerful, responsible, very family-oriented, and full of interests. I would like them to know that, if that had not happe- ned, he would be here today as part of their li- ves. “I’m now close to the age my father was when he died, and that makes me think a lot about everything that was taken from him and everything we lost”