Las Cabezas de San Juan, Bormujos, Seville capital and Alcalá de Guadaíra are the four municipalities in the province that have a public space dedicated to the councillor murdered by ETA in 1997.
The street directory of the province of Seville keeps the memory of councillor Miguel Ángel Blanco, murdered by ETA 29 years ago. Four localities have named streets, squares or roundabouts after him: Las Cabezas de San Juan, Bormujos, Seville capital and Alcalá de Guadaíra. In all cases, the designation includes a reference to his position as councillor.
In Las Cabezas de San Juan, the street is called Calle del Concejal Miguel Ángel Blanco. Bormujos opted for Calle Concejal Miguel Ángel Blanco, while Seville capital dedicated the Glorieta Miguel Ángel Blanco to him. Alcalá de Guadaíra has a Plaza Miguel Ángel Blanco. These public spaces are a permanent tribute to one of the victims whose murder marked a turning point in the fight against terrorism.
The crime that shocked Spain
Miguel Ángel Blanco Garrido was born in Ermua (Vizcaya) on May 13, 1968. He was trained as an economist, although he worked as a bricklayer alongside his father before joining a consultancy. In 1995, he became a councillor for the Popular Party in the Ermua City Council.
On July 10, 1997, he was kidnapped by an ETA command while heading to work. The terrorist group issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Spanish Government demanding the transfer of all ETA prisoners to prisons in the Basque Country. During those two days, millions of citizens took to the streets demanding his release.
When the Government did not comply, ETA executed Miguel Ángel Blanco on July 12, shooting him twice in the head in a forest track in Lasarte-Oria (Guipúzcoa). He was found alive and taken to the hospital, but died in the early hours of July 13, 1997, at the age of 29.
The 'Spirit of Ermua' and the memory in Seville
The murder provoked an unprecedented social mobilization. The so-called 'Spirit of Ermua' symbolised the massive rejection of Spanish society to terrorism and reinforced democratic unity against ETA. Following these events, the Miguel Ángel Blanco Foundation was established to preserve the memory of the victims of terrorism and promote the values of freedom and coexistence.
Twenty-nine years later, the residents of Las Cabezas de San Juan, Bormujos, Seville and Alcalá de Guadaíra can see the name of Miguel Ángel Blanco on their streets every day. For those living in these municipalities, the memory is integrated into the urban landscape, a daily reminder of the defence of democracy.
In the province of Seville, there are four localities that have paid this tribute. If you live in any of these municipalities, you can find the street in the official street directory of the corresponding City Council. The next time you pass by the Glorieta Miguel Ángel Blanco in Seville capital or the Calle del Concejal in Bormujos, you will know that behind that name lies a story that changed the course of Spain.
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