Jorge Díez Elorza

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On the day he was killed, Basque policeman Jorge Díez Elorza was escorting socialist politician Fernando Buesa Blanco from his home on Calle Álava in Vitoria to the university area with one of his sons. After leaving his son off at the Engineering School, the politician and his bodyguard walked a few more metres along the pavement. Before they reached the corner of Calle Nieves Cano, a huge explosion went off, killing both men.

The car bomb, containing 25 kilograms of explosives and shrapnel made up of ball bearings, was detonated from several dozen metres away by members of ETA as the socialist politician and his bodyguard were passing. The blast was heard throughout much of the city and in the Basque Parliament buildings.

Jorge had previously worked as a bodyguard for other politicians under threat from ETA. When his family expressed concern, he would say: “There are so many of us; do you think it’s going to happen to me?”.

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