Diego Martín is one of the most recognizable faces in Spanish cinema. Decades of success in iconic projects have made his name known throughout the country. Yet, despite his widespread fame, the actor belongs to that group of celebrities who carefully guard their private lives, preferring public attention to remain solely on their professional achievements. Even so, he occasionally makes exceptions, offering glimpses into his family matters. One such revelation concerned the tragic death of his uncle.
Ignacio Martín-Baró, the actor’s uncle, was born in Valladolid in 1942. He was not only a Jesuit priest but also a distinguished psychologist and philosopher. He devoted much of his life to studying the complex social and political situation in El Salvador. In this Central American country, he distinguished himself as a teacher, scholar, and social activist, tirelessly fighting for human rights, social justice, and equality. His life was cut short in 1989, at just forty-seven years old, at the height of the civil war.
Ignacio and five of his fellow Jesuits, along with two of their assistants, were cold-bloodedly murdered. The massacre was carried out by a battalion of the national armed forces under the command of Colonel Guillermo Benavides on the campus of the Central American University. This brutal crime caused a powerful international outcry and increased pressure on both sides of the conflict to start peace talks as soon as possible. Later, Martín-Baró and his slain companions were recognized as martyrs.
In a recent interview, Diego Martín shared his memories of that day. He admitted that he doesn’t often revisit those events in his mind, but whenever something reminds him of the tragedy, vivid and frightening images resurface instantly. He saw the news on TV at three in the afternoon: his uncle Nacho was shown in a close-up on the screen. He called that moment terrifying. The actor also recalled the reaction of his father and grandfather, noting how incredibly hard it was for the whole family to get through it.
The actor also spoke a bit about his relationship with his uncle. He described him as a brilliant scholar with an impressive career in political psychology, who had left for El Salvador on a mission when he was still young. Because of this, they didn’t see each other often, but every visit to Spain by his uncle became a special occasion. Diego remembered his passion for magic tricks—he always showed the nephews some new trick. Besides that, Ignacio was physically very strong and could easily pick up the children and spin them around.
Today, Diego Martin is a father of a large family himself. Together with his wife, who is an orthodontist, he is raising three children living in Paris. The actor calls them the love of his life, but true to his principles, he never reveals their names or ages, keeping his family’s privacy protected.
