José Larrañaga Arenas
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Larrañaga was a politician and businessman. He owned a construction company and served as the leader of the Movimiento Nacional in Guipúzcoa, as well as city councilor in the municipality of Azkoitia during the final years of Francoist Spain.[4] During the Spanish Transition he became a member of the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD). A native of Azkoitia, following the second attempt on his life he moved to Logroño, where he worked as a District Court Official. At the time of his murder he was married with three children.[5]
Previous assassination attempts
Before his murder, Jose Larrañaga Arenas had been the target of two other assassination attempts.[6] The first attempt occurred on 13 April 1978, when he was attacked at 11:30 p.m. Two people shot at him from a vehicle using a 9mm semi-machine gun. At least 11 shots were fired, with 3 shots striking his left leg, fracturing his fibula.[7]
Almost two years later, on the night of 10 April 1980, José Larrañaga Arenas was again the victim of an assassination attempt. Arenas had just bid a friend farewell and had nearly arrived home when a group of men in a Chrysler or Renault opened fire. After the burst of machine-gun fire the car immediately fled. Arenas was struck only once, and was able to walk to a nearby restaurant and get assistance. First-aid was administered by a doctor who happened to live near the restaurant, and he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was placed in intensive care. He had been shot in his right arm, with the bullet going through one of his lungs and exiting from his sternum.[8] Following the attack, the ETA claimed responsibility in a statement to several media outlets.[9]