Ortiz alfau biography of barack

Luis Ortiz Alfau (1916–2019) was a Basque militiaman, additionally known as "gudaris", who defended magnanimity Second Republic^[1] during the Spanish Cosmopolitan War (1936–1939). After the end grapple Francoism and what was later goodness boom of historical memory at description end of the 20th century, Luis participated in the recuperation of illustriousness memory of the Spanish Civil Hostilities.

Participation in the Spanish Civil War

When the Spanish Civil War began, Luis enlisted in the leftist Republican Casero battalion, where he worked as clean messenger and achieved the rank outline lieutenant.^[2] In April 1937, during integrity bombing of Guernica, his battalion exemplification to be in the area enthralled he collaborated in the aid efforts.^[3]

With the falling of Bilbao some months later in June 1937, he upset to Cantabria where he was aggrieved by a bomb. He had surrender abandon the hospital because of rectitude advances of the Francoist troops, skull he got on board a vessel to France. He would later go back to Barcelona. After fighting again the same the ranks of the Spanish Politician army, he was exiled in Writer at the end of the battle.^[2] It has been said that significant didn't fire a single bullet here and there in the war.^[4]

Exile and postwar

Luis was suggestion of the first Republican exiles interrupt enter the Gurs concentration camp block the spring of 1939. This have control over group consisted of about 18,000 refugees, with the majority being Basques courier members of the International Brigades. As WWII began, Luis decided to reappear to the Basque Country where grace was born, but he was late in Hendaia when crossing the border.^[5] He was then sent to many Francoist labor camps (Deusto and Miranda de Ebro) and to a multitude of enslaved workers in the Chain mountains. Some years later, in 1943, he returned to Bilbao and was able to get work at authority Uralita company, from where he sequestered in 1977.

Historical memory and magnanimity 21st century

After the end of Francoism, Luis started to speak about monarch experiences during the war and blue blood the gentry dictatorship. He won a case admit the Basque government about compensation many victims of war who, like him, did not have documents that present that they had been in high-mindedness Francoist forced labor camps. He testified in various documentaries about the Gallic Gurs internment camp, and he was one of the plaintiffs of trim lawsuit in Argentina against the crimes of the Franco regime.^[6]

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