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ETA Veteran 'Peixoto' Dies in France as Otegi's Tribute Rekindles Pain Over 1973 Disappearances

His passing revives unresolved questions about three Galician youths abducted in 1973.

Overview

  • José Manuel Pagoaga Gallastegi, known as 'Peixoto', died in southern France after a long illness, according to El Correo.
  • Testimonies, including that of infiltrator Mikel Lejarza, have linked him to the 1973 kidnapping, torture and killing of José Humberto Fouz, Jorge Juan García and Fernando Quiroga.
  • The victims' bodies were never found, and repeated appeals from families for information received no response.
  • A longtime ETA member from the 1960s, he later oversaw logistics and the collection of the so‑called 'revolutionary tax' and was seriously wounded in a 1979 attack by the Batallón Vasco Español that cost him vision in one eye.
  • Arnaldo Otegi posted a public homage on X, praising Peixoto's protection, love and commitment to the patria.