Melitón Manzanas
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Melitón Manzanas (San Sebastian, 1906-1968), a Spanish government officialand he was famous head of police torture group, was the first high-profile member of Francisco Franco's government killed by ETA. He was the commander of the secret police in San Sebastian. He was well known for the zeal he exhibited against the recently born separatist movement, to which Franco's regime and other democratic parties were politically opposed. His work in enforcing the law set by the regime was used as a justification for murdering him.
ETA waited at his residence, Villa Arana, and shot him seven times. The operation was codenamed "Apples" in the Basque language, which is what Manzanas means in Spanish.
Manzanas was only granted posthumously a medal of Civil Merit by José Aznar thirty years after he was murdered, and thus he was recognized as a victim of terrorism. This was extremely controversial, since Manzanas was a secret policeman serving wholeheartedly under Franco's government, and leftists and terrorist separatists claim he had committed numerous crimes against human rights, although there is no evidence to support this claim. In general the Spanish left and the separatists consider that politically motivated violent acts and even murders are justified if they took place during Franco's regime[1].
[edit] References
1. Quote by former ETA-VI asamblea and PCE member Jon Juaristi "ETA was a network to which the PNV lent a supportive movement. This is not my thesis, but Arzallus' (PNV's former president)" Juaristi, Jon: LA TRIBU ATRIBULADA. EL NACIONALISMO EXPLICADO A MI PADRE. Espasa-Calpe, Madrid, 2002
