José Miguel Beñaran Ordeñana

Who was José Miguel Beñaran Ordeñana?

José Miguel Beñaran Ordeñana was a Basque activist and a key figure in the political evolution of the Basque separatist organization Euskadi ta Askatasuna. Often known by his nom de guerre Argala, he took part in the so called Operation Ogre, which consisted in the assassination of Luis Carrero Blanco, Franco's Prime Minister, in 1973. Five years later, he was in turn assassinated by a car bomb in Anglet, France by a group directed by far right members inside the Spanish Navy. This group reportedly received assistance from people such as former OAS member Jean Pierre Cherid, former Triple A Argentine member José María Boccardo and Italian neofascist Mario Ricci, member of Avanguardia Nazionale.