Miguel Ángel Blanco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel Ángel Blanco
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Miguel Angel Blanco bust in the gardens bearing his name in Madrid
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| Councillor in Ermua | |
| In office 28 May 1995 – 13 July 1997 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Miguel Ángel Blanco Garrido
13 May 1968 Ermua, Basque Country, Spain |
| Died | 13 July 1997 (aged 29) Lasarte-Oria, Basque Country, Spain |
| Cause of death | Murder by firearm |
| Resting place | A Merca cemetery |
| Political party | People's Party |
| Domestic partner | María del Mar Díaz |
| Relations | María del Mar Blanco (sister) |
| Alma mater | University of the Basque Country |
Miguel Ángel Blanco Garrido (born May 13, 1968 – died July 13, 1997) was a Spanish politician. He served as a local council member in Ermua, a town in the Basque Country, Spain. He was a member of the People's Party (PP). Sadly, he was kidnapped and later killed by a group called ETA. His death had a big impact on Spanish society.
Contents
About Miguel Ángel Blanco
His Early Life
Miguel Ángel Blanco was born on May 13, 1968, in Ermua. His family was humble. He had a sister named María del Mar. His father, Miguel, worked in construction, and his mother, Consuelo, was a homemaker. His parents were originally from Galicia, another region in Spain.
Miguel Ángel studied economics at the University of the Basque Country. For a long time, he worked with his father in construction. Later, he found a job at Eman Consulting in Eibar. He also played the drums in two bands, Póker and Cañaveral. He loved sports and dreamed of walking to Madrid to protest if the Ermua sports center closed.
In 1995, he joined the youth group of the People's Party, called Nuevas Generaciones. Because the party was small in his area, he became a candidate for the local elections that year. He was elected and became a member of the town's council.
His Kidnapping and Death
On July 10, 1997, Miguel Ángel Blanco was kidnapped by the group ETA. He was on his way to meet a client. ETA threatened to kill him unless the Spanish Government moved all ETA prisoners to prisons in the Basque Country within 48 hours.
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in demonstrations across Spain. They demanded his release. But 50 minutes after the deadline passed, on July 12, he was found badly injured outside San Sebastián. He had been shot. He died in the hospital early on July 13. He is buried in Faramontaos, A Merca, with his parents.
The Impact of His Death
Miguel Ángel Blanco's kidnapping and death were very important events for Spanish society. They also deeply affected people in the Basque Country. Even some people who supported ETA publicly spoke out against the killing.
This event led to the creation of the "Spirit of Ermua." This idea represented the strong public opposition to terrorism. It also led to the formation of anti-terrorist groups like Foro de Ermua and the Fundación Miguel Ángel Blanco (Miguel Ángel Blanco Foundation). These groups work to remember him and fight against terrorism.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Ángel Blanco para niños
- List of kidnappings
- List of solved missing person cases
