Guillem Agulló’s Family Urges Spanish Government to Recognize Him as a Terrorism Victim 33 Years After His Murder

Guillem Agulló’s Family Press Madrid for Right-Wing Terrorism Recognition

Thirty-three years after an 18-year-old anti-fascist activist was stabbed to death by a neo-Nazi group in Montanejos, Spain, his family has formally requested that the Spanish government designate him as a victim of right-wing terrorism. ara.cat reported that parents Guillem Agulló and Carme Salvador, alongside sister Betlem Agulló, made the appeal public during a press briefing in Madrid, directing their demands at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska.

Ahead of the November 29 general elections, the family remains waiting for the Spanish government to act to repair the damage and honour the memory of the young anti-fascist and independentist activist, whom his mother described as having become a symbol and a benchmark of anti-fascism. Carme Salvador confessed that three decades later it is still very hard to speak publicly about her son, noting that it has been 33 years of not stopping, of never being able to close the chapter, but affirmed that the family is determined to keep pressing authorities and will continue raising their voices in similar events in Catalonia and the Valencian Country to pressure the authorities and ensure they take awareness of the matter. Rafael Xambó, a Valencian sociologist and author of the 2026 book The Murder of Guillem who hosted the event, explained that they have confirmation the Spanish government has received the letter, which has been endorsed by the signatures of about 250 prominent figures from the legal, political, media, and cultural fields.

The case dates back to the early hours of April 11, 1993, when five members of the extremist group Marchalenes IV Reich cornered the young activist and drove a knife into his heart. In the 1995 judicial proceedings, four of the accused were acquitted, while the person who delivered the fatal blow, Pedro José Cuevas, received a 14-year prison sentence for homicide and served four years. The court classified the confrontation as a youthful brawl rather than acknowledging a political motive, overruling the initial stance of both the investigating magistrate and the public prosecutor.

Interior Ministry Seeks Official Reports as the Family Denounces Resistance

After filing their official request with the Ministry of the Interior in April, the family learned that department officials requested assessments from the Civil Guard and the Provincial Court of Castellón. According to reporting from ara.cat, the Civil Guard has already returned an opinion rejecting the classification. The family’s letter warns that leaving the final decision in the hands of authorities who previously failed to recognize the political nature of the crime risks compounding historical failures.

rtve.es noted that the Colectivo de Víctimas del Terrorismo (COVITE) has incorporated the killing into its Terror Map of Spain, offering a parallel acknowledgment that contrasts with the initial judicial outcome. To counter the Interior Ministry’s early assessment, the family insists that independent expert reports must be incorporated into the review to provide an impartial evaluation of the case.

Political Backing and Public Broadcasting Controversy Compound Tensions

Lawmakers from several congressional parties, including Gabriel Rufián of ERC, Pablo Fernández of Podemos, and Compromís representatives Águeda Micó and Alberto Ibáñez, attended the Madrid gathering to voice support. Speakers condemned ongoing far-right intimidation in the Valencia region, where relatives report that the killing has occasionally been treated as a trophy by extremist elements.

The press conference followed a last-minute scheduling change by the Valencian public broadcaster À Punt, which pulled the documentary film La mort de Guillem from its Monday lineup in favor of a comedy. Micó criticized the broadcaster’s reversal during the political speeches.

Unresolved Questions Remain Ahead of Government Review

As the family awaits a definitive response from Pedro Sánchez and Fernando Grande-Marlaska, the central question remains whether the Ministry of the Interior will alter its review process to include independent expert testimony or adhere strictly to the preliminary findings submitted by law enforcement and the provincial judiciary.

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