María Dolores Katarain
| María Dolores Katarain | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
María Dolores González 14 May 1954 Gipuzkoa |
| Died | 10 September 1986 (aged 32) |
| Nationality | Spanish |
María Dolores Gonzalez Katarain, also known as Yoyes, (14 May 1954 Ordizia, Gipuzkoa - 10 September 1986) was an iconic woman leader of Basque separatist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna), who became a symbol because of the tragic circumstances of her life.
Yoyes was the first woman to enter the senior ETA leadership, but she decided to leave the organisation to start a new life. Her former comrades regarded her as a traitor and she was killed by ETA in 1986 in her home town of Ordizia, during a local festival, in front of her three-year-old son. The killing led to unprecedented criticism of ETA in the Basque Country.
Dolores Gonzalez Katarain was born in Ordizia, Gipuzkoa, on 14 May 1954. Her parents were Luis Gonzalez and Angelita Katarain; and she was the second of 9 children. Her paternal grandfather owned the grocery store in the town, where Yoyes would sometimes help out on breaks from school. Her family lived on the outskirts of Ordizia in a house called Goitine.
According to her schoolfriend, Elixabete Garmendia, Yoyes always had a sense of responsibility. "She was pretty reserved but she had a way of making deep connections with people. She wanted to talk about books and ideas - she was very curious about the world around her."
Yoyes grew up during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, who ruled Spain with an iron first. In the Basque Country, which had its own language and traditions, basic freedoms were restricted - there was no right to protest and the Basque flag was banned. ETA was regarded by Madrid as a terrorist organisation, but to many idealistic young people in the Basque Country, it seemed like a noble revolutionary movement prepared to fight to topple a dictator and achieve socialism.
Yoyes joined ETA in the early 1970s, probably in 1971, at the age of 17. At first, she operated in a support role, becoming a full member in 1973. In that year, her boyfriend and fellow member, Jose Etxeberria, was killed in Getxo when a bomb he was carrying accidentally went off. A few months later, she fled into exile in the south of France, where she became a full ETA member and participated in armed actions.
Yoyes had to overcome sexism within ETA, which, according to Elixabete Garmendia, was very much a "man's world" even though it was supposed to be a revolutionary movement. She was expected to play a subordinate role, but was determined to take part in the same activities as men. Eventually, Yoyes rose to become the first woman in the ETA leadership and was considered an iconic figure in ETA circles because of her toughness and intelligence . In 1979, she was one of two ETA members who gave an interview to the BBC.
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