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Tribute to the
The Basque Government has paid tribute this Saturday to the victims of forced labor employed as “slave” labor during the Civil War and the Franco regime, an act in which historical memory has been appealed as a basis for “strengthening democratic culture and coexistence”. The event, held in Bermeo (Bizkaia), was chaired by the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, and was also attended by the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños.
The delegate of the Government, Denis Itxaso, the councilors of Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport, and Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government, Iñaki Arriola and Beatriz Artolazabal, respectively, as well as the mayor of Bermeo, have also approached the Biscayan town , Aritz Abaroa, reports Europa Press.
As detailed during the tribute, among the victims subjected to forced labor were the penal detachments from Gernika and Bermeo, which took part in clearing debris and rebuilding the provincial town after the 1937 bombing, as well as in the reconstruction of the station and part of its railway and the extension of the railway line from Sukarrieta to the fishing village.
In this way, the Association of Professionals and Students of Criminology of the Basque Country (APECPV-EHPIKE), together with the Department of Territorial Planning, Housing and Transport of the Basque Government, have organized a photographic exhibition, which will remain open until the 3rd of April in the old Fishermen’s Guild of Bermeo. In addition, the railway stations of Gernika, Itsasbegi (Sukarrieta), Mundaka and Bermeo will also host panels with part of the exhibition material.
Before the official opening of the sample, an act of recognition to a dozen of relatives of these prisoners has been developed in the Casino of Bermeo. In it, a commemorative piece of track was delivered and the vice president of APECPV-EHPIKE, Diego Leonet, underlined the importance of the institutional presence, “to tell the descendants that what they did to their relatives was unfair, that no one deserved the inhuman and degrading treatment”.
After the Civil War, in the Biscayan region of Busturialdea, many men who had fought for the Spanish Republic, or who were simply attached to it, in addition to common prisoners, were forced by the dictatorship to work on the reconstruction of the effects produced by the contest. The reconstruction of Gernika after the bombing and of its railway, as well as the expansion of the line between Pedernales/Sukarrieta and Bermeo, were part of his work. Most inmates were brought from Extremadura or Andalusia, among other regions.
Despite the fact that the railway was inaugurated in 1955 and was fully operational, the men had to continue working on accessory tasks until it was definitively finished. Once the works were completed, the Bermeo penal detachment was dismantled in 1958 and the 30 prisoners who remained in it were transferred to other centers in Madrid and Murcia.
In his speech at the tribute, the Lehendakari Urkullu stated that “with the recognition of the people who, in any place, were sentenced to forced labor by an illegitimate government”, “one more step is taken on the road to recover” the historical and democratic memory. In addition, he thanked the families of the victims “for having kept the memory of these people who suffered the injustice of the dictatorship and were an example of dignity.” “Specially heartfelt thanks to those who stayed and joined, committing themselves to the development of Euskadi. Our goal is to keep their memory alive. As long as we keep their memory, they will never be forgotten”, he concluded.
For his part, Minister Arriola explained that currently this railway line continues to serve the inhabitants of the region and has considered it necessary to “settle” the pending debt with the people who worked on it and with their families. “The work of those men is still alive, although many of the users are unaware of the history of the rails that transport them to their homes, to their work or to enjoy their leisure, in what circumstances they were built, and who their protagonists were. Today we have decided to make this story known and settle a historic debt with them and their families,” he said, while stressing that “a wound only heals well if it is cleaned properly.”
Lastly, the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Courts and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños, highlighted the importance of paying tribute to the victims of forced labor on the railway, in a regime of “semi-slavery”, people who “gave so much his life so that Spain and the Basque Country are a democratic society”. “That figure of redemption of sentences for work was nothing more than an aberration and another symbol of the cruelty of the Franco regime,” he added.
Taking advantage of the appointment, Urkullu and Minister Bolaños held a meeting this Saturday in Busturia (Bizkaia) in order to “reinforce” collaboration between the Basque and Spanish governments. During the meeting, both leaders addressed issues such as pending transfers or the development of self-government in the Basque Country. Both have expressed their “regret over Russia’s war offensive in Ukraine”, which “represents a challenge to the world order and the democratic values that govern the EU”, and have expressed their solidarity and support for the Ukrainian people.
Sources from the Basque Executive explained to Europa Press that various issues were addressed at the meeting, including the transfer process to comply with the Gernika Statute, as well as “the development of recognized self-government”. They have also analyzed various issues of common interest to both Governments, as well as current political and social affairs in the State.
For its part, the Ministry, through a statement, has indicated that issues such as the recent agreement for the rail integration of the AVE in Vitoria and Bilbao have been discussed at the meeting. He also explained that the execution of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, and the agreement for the transfer of the management of the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) to the regional Executive, which will be formalized soon, have been on the table.