Santiago Brouard

Santi Brouard
Santi Brouard at a political rally
Personal details
Born	Santiago Brouard 1919 Lekeitio, Basque Country
Died	20 November 1984 Bilbao, Basque Country
Political party	Herri Batasuna

Santiago Brouard or Santi Brouard (1919 in Lekeitio – 20 November 1984 in Bilbao) was a doctor and Basque politician. He was one of the leaders of Herri Batasuna, and deputy mayor of Bilbao. He was killed by the Spanish government's death squad, the Grupos Antiterroristas de Liberación (GAL), in one of its highest-profile acts. Broaurd was shot by GAL gunmen Luis Morcillo and Rafael López Ocaña as he left his paediatric clinic in Bilbao.

Born in the town of Lekeitio, he studied medicine in the university of Valladolid. After finishing his studies he went back to the Basque Country and specialized in paediatrics in Basurtu hospital. He married Teresa Aldamiz, with whom he had three children. He helped create the first ikastolas (schools where lessons were given in Basque language) in Bizkaia.

In 1974 Brouard had to escape to the Northern Basque Country (French side of the Basque Country) after he treated an ETA member who had been shot by the Spanish police. There he met leading ETA members, such as Argala. He took part in the creation of the KAS alternatiba when Franco's regime was about to end. Brouard was one of the creators of EHAS, the group that after 1977 would be known as HASI. Brouard was named president of HASI and when Herri Batasuna was created, he became a member of that party. He always saw himself as Basque nationalist and socialist.

When he returned from exile, he resumed work as a doctor and remained active in politics. He was sent to prison in 1983 together with other Herri Batasuna members accused of singing the Basque fighters song Eusko Gudariak when the Spanish King Juan Carlos I went to Gernika. They interrupted his speech and all members who were singing had to be carried out of the building, amid protests. He became a member of the National Executive of Herri Batasuna, and later became a deputy in the Spanish parliament in Madrid. At the same time, he was deputy mayor of Bilbao.