Assassination of Guillem Agulló



Guillem Agulló i Salvador (Burjasot, Valencia; 1974-Montanejos, Castellón; 11 April 1993) was a Valencian anti-fascist and indpendentist activist who was assassinated on 11 April 1993, by the neo-nazi Pedro Cuevas, in Montanejos. Agulló was a member of the leftist and independentist organization Maulets, and of SHARP. His assassination, along with the assassination of Carlos Palomino, is a very famous case in Spain, where Agulló has become a symbol of anti-fascism and anti-racism. The slogal "Guillem Agulló, ni oblit, ni perdó" (from Catalan,"Guillem Agulló, not forgotten, nor forgiven"), has become a popular anti-fascist slogan.

Attack
On the morning of 11 April 1993, Guillem Agulló was in Montanejos, when they were attacked by a group of young fascists shouting "Sieg Heil" and "Viva España" and one of them stabbed him in the heart, causing his death. The attackers left singing the Spanish fascist anthem "Cara al Sol". The assassination was perpetrated by the fascist group "Komando Marchalenes IV Reich", named in honor of the Nazi regime, which was composed of Pedro Cuevas (the material perpetrator of the assassination), Gerardo Mora, Juan Manuel Sánchez, José Cuñat, and Francisco Garcia.

Family members and left-wing and pro-independence organizations denounced that the motive for the crime had been political, since the young people who intervened in the murder were known for their Spanish and fascist ideology and that they also knew of the anti-fascist ideology of Agulló.

The trial
The only condemned person was Cuevas, who was condemned to 14 years in prison. The other members were dismissed. Cuevas left prison 4 years after for "good conduct".

After the trial
In 2005 Cuevas was arrested during "Operación Panzer" for being a member of the neo-nazism group Frente Antisistema (FAS). The Guardia Civil found 40 bracelets with Nazi swastikas, one knife with Nazi symbols, and brass knuckles.

In 2007, Pedro Cuevas was a candidate for the municipal elections for Alianza Nacional (a far-right party) in Chiva, where he only earned 23 votes.

Legacy and political significance
Guillem Agulló has become a symbol of anti-fascism and anti-racism in Spain. Multiple homages have happened. Several demonstrations commemorate the anniversaries of his assassination. Several streets have been named after him: in Vic, Barcelona, Valencia, Vilassar de Dalt and Burjassot. The Corts Valencianes created the Guillem Agulló Prize to commemorate «the prominent people and initiatives in the fight against xenophobia, racism, and hate crimes». In 2019 the Senate of Spain approved the creation of the Guillem Agulló fund to help the families of victims of hate crimes.