Fernando Garrido met Josemi Latasa, one of the men involved in his family's murder by ETA, in a private conversation arranged by Salvados. The meeting, held without cameras, exposed the raw complexity of forgiveness and regret.
Fernando Garrido did something few could imagine: he met privately with Josemi Latasa, the man who helped destroy his family. Salvados arranged the meeting, but kept it behind closed doors—no cameras, no audience, just two men and the history between them. The conversation took place nearly forty years after the 1986 attack that left Garrido without his parents and brother.
This was not a made-for-TV moment. Salvados, now in its eighteenth season, chose not to turn the meeting into a spectacle. Instead, the show created a space for a real exchange about remorse and the possibility of forgiveness, away from the spotlight. The result was a rare look at what comes after political violence in Spain, focused on the people involved rather than the headlines. According to independent summaries from Russpain and laSexta, the 1986 attack in San Sebastián targeted the car of military governor Rafael Garrido, but killed his wife and son, among other family members.
Josemi Latasa was sentenced to 153 years in prison for his role in the Garrido family murder, but served approximately 10 years before his release.
Latasa, once a member of ETA and directly involved in the murder, had already left the group and expressed regret years before. In 2011, he wrote Garrido a letter asking for forgiveness, which eventually led to this meeting. Garrido never said "I forgive you" during their conversation, but later admitted the feeling was real. He stressed that the process needed privacy and respect, not public absolution. As laSexta reported, Garrido believed Latasa's remorse was genuine and agreed to meet after receiving the letter.
Their hour-and-a-half conversation was shaped by a need for dignity. Both men knew that one meeting could not erase the pain or consequences of the past. Still, their willingness to talk, listen, and acknowledge responsibility was a break from the silence that often surrounds these cases in Spain. Salvados let the encounter unfold without interference, a choice described by Spanish media as intentionally restrained and private. Outlets like ARA and Cadena SER noted this approach as a new standard for handling sensitive reconciliation stories.
While Garrido and Latasa's story is not the only one of its kind in Spain's history with ETA, the decision to share their meeting in this way stands out. It follows other high-profile reconciliations, such as those reported earlier, but with a sharper focus on the line between public interest and personal healing.
The Salvados episode 'El encuentro' is considered by Spanish media to be a rare public example of dialogue between a victim and a former ETA member, reflecting a broader movement toward post-ETA reconciliation in Spain. The program's editorial choice to keep the conversation private was widely praised as a sign of maturity in media coverage of such events.
ETA's violence left deep scars across Spain, with thousands of victims and lasting trauma. The group officially disbanded in 2018, but the country is still reckoning with its impact. Encounters like this one, though rare, show the ongoing struggle to balance justice, memory, and the hope for reconciliation. Salvados chose not to air the conversation itself, but to report on its existence and meaning—a sign that Spanish media is learning how to handle these stories with care.
This episode of Salvados sets a different standard for journalism in Spain. By refusing to exploit pain for ratings and instead respecting the dignity of those involved, the program showed that restraint matters. In a media world often driven by spectacle, this approach is overdue. Some stories need space and the willingness to listen, not a performance.
