Yolanda González (activist)
Spanish militant (1961–1980)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yolanda González Martín (20 January 1961 – 1 February 1980[1]) was a Spanish student and communist militant murdered by two members of New Force.[2]
Yolanda González | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | 20 January 1961 |
| Died | 1 February 1980 (aged 19) |
Cause of death | Murder |
| Occupation | Student |
| Organization | Worker's Socialist Party (Spain) |
Biography
Originally from Deusto, Bilbao, González moved to Madrid to study electronics.[3] To fund her education, she worked as a cleaner.[4] She became the student representative of the vocational training school where she studied. She was also a member of the Workers Socialist Party. In February 1980, she was kidnapped, tortured and murdered by some members of New Force. Her body was found on a roadside near Madrid. The organization Batallón Vasco Español claimed responsibility for her murder.[3] On the same day the organisation also murdered Jesús María Zubikarai Badiola in Eibar.[5]
The perpetrators of González' murder were Emilio Hellín and Ignacio Abad Velázquez, who were arrested and sentenced to prison terms.[3] Hellin was sentenced to 43 years in prison, of which he served only 14. In February 2013, El País reported that Hellin, under a false name, was working in communications technology for the Spanish security forces.[6]
Legacy
On multiple anniversary years of her murder, González' relatives and neighbours have led calls for further justice and reparation.[7][8] In 2014 Isabel Rodríguez directed the documentary "Yolanda en el País de los estudiantes", which recounts the kidnapping and subsequent murder of González by the Batallón Vasco-Español.[9]
In 2018 Carlos Fonseca wrote No te olvides de mí: Yolanda González, el crimen más brutal de la Transición. This book brought together a range of sources to focus on her murder.[10]
Both a garden and a public square have been named in her honour. In 2015, the garden Jardines de Yolanda González Martín was named after her in Madrid.[11] In 2018 the sign for the gardens was defaced by fascists.[4] In 2016 there a small square in Deustu was named in her honour.[12][13][14]
Square in Deustu, Bilbao
Deustu sign
Gardens in Madrid
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