Josemi Latasa, who once belonged to ETA and took part in the attack that killed Fernando Garrido’s family, confronted his past in a televised meeting. The Salvados broadcast brought Latasa and Garrido together to revisit the bombing’s trauma.
Latasa explained that after the attack, he stayed in ETA less out of belief than because he felt trapped. Doubts set in, but pressure from the group and a sense that he was needed kept him from leaving. “At first I believed in it, then I just kept going because I was told I was needed,” he said. The bombing, which happened on October 25, 1986, in San Sebastián, targeted the car of military governor Rafael Garrido. The explosion killed Garrido’s wife and son. His driver also died. Fernando Garrido lost both parents. His brother died as well.
ETA is estimated to have left more than 850 dead, around 3,000 injured, and nearly 100 kidnappings during its decades of armed activity in Spain.
Latasa described the shock of realizing the bomb had killed its intended target, along with the target’s wife and child. A cleaner also died. The emotional impact was immediate, but ETA’s leadership focused only on the fact that the operation had disrupted a political demonstration in Bilbao. The deaths of bystanders were dismissed as “collateral damage.” There was little sign of regret or debate inside the group, where political goals came before human life.
After the bombing, Latasa said he lived in constant discomfort, surrounded by death and unable to break the cycle. “The wheel kept turning and it was hard to stop,” he said. Open discussion was discouraged, leaving him isolated. Eventually, Latasa left ETA and spoke out against its violence. He also asked victims for forgiveness. Information from laSexta, this move led to tension within ETA and played a part in the murder of another former member, Yoyes. After that, Latasa cut all ties with the group.
Years later, after serving time in prison, Latasa became one of the first former ETA members to publicly denounce the group and seek forgiveness. He wrote to Fernando Garrido, leading to the meeting shown on Salvados. Both men spoke about how the attack shaped their lives: Garrido had to rebuild after losing his family, while Latasa struggled with guilt and the consequences of his actions. LaSexta reported that Latasa joined ETA after the age of 30 and linked his radicalization to the political upheaval of the 1970s, including the events of March 3, 1976, in Vitoria.
The Salvados episode offers a direct look at the human cost of terrorism in Spain. It shows the pain of victims and the pressures that keep people inside violent groups. The program’s approach is similar to other Spanish cases where victims and perpetrators have met face to face, such as those reported earlier during national remembrance events.
The episode depicts a society still dealing with the scars of political violence. Latasa and Garrido’s willingness to talk signals a move from silence to accountability, while also showing how slow change can be. ETA’s leadership showed little empathy. Former members faced difficulties leaving the group, a challenge Spain continues to confront as it comes to terms with its recent past. Salvados offers no easy answers, confronting viewers with trauma and complicity while tracing the slow process of reconciliation.
