Batallón Vasco Español

The Batallón Vasco Español (BVE) (English: Spanish Basque Battalion) was a Spanish neo-fascist paramilitary organisation active from 1975 to 1981, primarily in the French Basque Country and the Basque Autonomous Community. The BVE employed violence mainly against Basque nationalist groups. With the change of government in Madrid, from the centre-right Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) to the centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1982, the BVE vanished but a similar group, the Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación (GAL) took its place.

Spanish Basque Battalion
Batallón Vasco Español  (Spanish)
Leader(s)Unknown
Dates of operationJuly 1975 (1975-07) – April 1981 (1981-04)
MotivesOpposition to separatism, communism and democracy
Active regions France (French Basque Country)
 Spain (Basque Country)
IdeologyNeo-fascism
Spanish nationalism
Vasco-phobia
Political positionFar-right
Notable attacksAssassination of Argala
StatusInactive
SizeUnknown
Spanish Basque Battalion
Batallón Vasco Español  (Spanish)
Participant in the Basque Conflict
ActiveJuly 1975 (1975-07) – April 1981 (1981-04)
StatusInactive
IdeologyNeo-fascism
Spanish nationalism
Vasco-phobia
Political positionFar-right
Motive(s)Opposition to separatism, communism and democracy
LeadersUnknown
Area of operations France (French Basque Country)
 Spain (Basque Country)
SizeUnknown
AlliesAlianza Apostólica Anticomunista
Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey
Grupos Armados Españoles
Acción Nacional Española
Antiterrorismo ETA
Opponent(s)Basque National Liberation Movement Communists
Government of Spain

Attacks

Attacks attributed to the Spanish Basque Battalion:[lower-alpha 1]

  • 24 May 1978: Claimed assassination of José Martín Merquelanz Sarriegui, taxi driver from Irún, for allegedly helping an ETA militant escape.[1] This assassination was originally attributed to ETA, but the organisation denied it.[2]
  • 21 December 1978: Assassination of José Miguel Beñarán, "Argala" (ETA militant who participated in the assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco in 1973), in Anglet. Carlos Gastón, member of the BVE was accused for this crime. Former OAS member Jean-Pierre Cherid took part in it.[3]
  • 25 June 1979: Assassination of Enrique Gómez Álvarez (alleged ETA militant) in Bayonne.[4]
  • 28 June 1979: Assassination of F. Martín Eizaguirre and Aurelio Fernández (alleged GRAPO militants) in Paris.
  • 2 August 1979: Assassination of Juan J. Lopategui Carrasco (ETA militant) in Anglet.[5]
  • 28 September 1979: Assassination of Tomás Alba Irazusta, HB councillor, in his hometown of Astigarraga.
  • 2 February 1980: Assassination of Jesús María Zubigaray Badiola, member of Euskadiko Ezkerra, in Hernani.
  • 2 February 1980: Kidnapping and assassination of Yolanda González Martín (student and member of the Workers' Socialist Party) in Madrid. Members of Fuerza Nueva were arrested for this case, including a policeman.
  • 19 April 1980: Claimed assassination of Felipe Sagarna Ormazábal, member of HB in Hernani.[6]
  • 8 May 1980: Assassination of María José Bravo del Barrio (student without known political relation) in Donostia.[7][8]
  • 30 August 1980: Assassination of Angel Etxaniz Olabarria, member of Herri Batasuna, in Ondarroa.
  • 7 September 1980: Assassination of Miguel María Arbelaiz and Luis María Elizondo (HB members) in Hernani.[9]
  • 14 November 1980: Assassination of Esperanza Arana and Joaquín Alfonso Etxeberria (ETA militants) in Caracas.
  • 14 November 1980: Assassination of Joaquín Antimasbere Escoz, a Gypsy scrap dealer (with no known political connection), in Hernani.[10]
  • 23 November 1980: Machine-gun attack against the Bar Hendayais in Hendaye. José Camio and Jean Pierre Aramendi (both without known political connections) were killed. Another 10 people were injured.
  • 30 December 1980: Assassination of José Martín Sagardía Zaldua (ETA member) in Biarritz.
  • 3 March 1981: Assassination of Francisco Javier Ansa Cincunegui, HB member, in Andoain.
  • 23 April 1981: Assassination of Xavier Aguirre in Paris.

Notes
  1. This list may be incomplete, because many of their attacks were never claimed. Additionally the acronyms BVE and others (Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey, Antiterrorismo ETA, Primera Línea de Fuerza Nueva, Grupos Armados Españoles, Alianza Apóstolica Anticomunista, and later Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación and GANE) seem to have been indistinctly used by the same Spanish nationalist networks capriciously.

References
  1. El País (30-5-78): Una organización de extrema derecha reivindica el asesinato del taxista de Irún
  2. El País (27-5-78): ETA niega haber asesinado al taxista de Irún
  3. El Mundo (21-12-2003): Un militar declara cómo él y siete compañeros vengaron la muerte de Carrero Blanco
  4. ABC (27-6-1979): Descubren el coche utilizado en el atentado contra el refugiado vasco en Bayona
  5. ABC (4-8-79): Murió el dirigente etarra Juan Lopategui
  6. Hemeroteca ABC (20-4-80): Hernani: muerto un simpatizante de Herri Batasuna
  7. COVITE: Las otras víctimas. Luis R.Aizpeolea
  8. Noticias de Gipuzkoa (5-5-2010): 30º aniversario del asesinato de María José Bravo del Barrio
  9. Gara (7-6-2013): La muerte de «Piti»
  10. El País (16-12-80): 5.000 personas en el funeral del gitano asesinado en Hernani
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