The families of Manuel Martín Collado, José Giner Gasent, Antonio Orengo Damiá, and Manuel Castillo García recovered the remains of their relatives, murdered by Francoism, this Saturday. The ceremony took place at the Escola Pia de Gandia, the site where they were executed on October 31, 1940, transforming it into a space for reparation and democratic memory.
These four residents are the first identified among the 24 bodies recovered from the Gandia mass grave in 2023. Almost nine decades later, their families have been able to recover the remains of those who were taken from them without reason.
“"Grandfather, how much time they stole from us, and how many stories were left untold."
Nuria Martín, president of the Association of Victims of Francoism of La Safor and granddaughter of Manuel Martín, expressed the pain of absence and lost time. 'No one should have to wait a lifetime to recover someone who was taken from them,' she stated, voicing the pain inherited through generations.
The Councilor for Democratic Memory of Gandia, Alícia Izquierdo, highlighted the families' perseverance and emphasized that their memory is a moral heritage. She added that these residents 'have returned to the place where they were killed, but with a different burden, as they return embraced by affection, with a name, with pride, and with tenderness.'
The director of the excavation, Miquel Mezquida, acknowledged the families' efforts to reach this day, while those present shared the sentiment that 'this recovery has come too late.' Many widows and children could not say goodbye to their loved ones.
José, grandson of Manuel Castillo, expressed that his grandfather 'can finally rest.' Antoni Orengo, grandson of Antonio Orengo, lamented that his grandmother and father could not witness this moment. José Luis Giner, grandson of José Giner Gasent, described the event as 'an act of democratic hygiene for the present.'
The Director General of Historical Memory of the Spanish Government, Zoraida Hijosa, advocated for the importance of 'saying their names aloud' and noted that the Spanish State had 'a debt' to the families. The Vice President of the Provincial Council of Valencia, Natalia Enguix, was also present, recalling that 'the stones surrounding this cloister heard the last yearnings for life.'
The Mayor of Gandia, José Manuel Prieto, reiterated that the recovery is a matter of human rights and a 'moral and democratic duty of the city.' He concluded that, despite the wait, they were left with 'the values of equality, fraternity, and dignity.'
