Bilbao (EFE).- The Basque socialists have bid their last farewell to their comrade Rodolfo Ares, supported by political and institutional representatives of different ideologies, but of the same opinion, considering the deceased a historical reference in the Basque Country in recent decades.
The Bilbao funeral home in which the family and the socialists have fired Ares has been the scene throughout the day of a coming and going of dozens of militants, political, institutional and union representatives, who have come to convey their condolences to relatives and relatives of the deceased.
All of them have recognized, in statements to journalists, the political stature of a historical figure of Basque socialism, who died yesterday at the age of 68. The funeral will be held tomorrow in privacy.
Among those who have come are the lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, who has done so to pay “tribute” on behalf of the Basque Government to Rodolfo Ares, for whom he has had “a memory moved by the experiences” he has shared with him
Ares, recognized by other parties
Also the president of the PNV, Andoni Ortuzar, has conveyed the “closeness” of his party to the “socialist family” due to “the loss of a historical reference.”
“If Rodolfo has argued with someone and has gotten along at the same time -he has affirmed- it has been with the PNV, and we want to recognize, we already did it in life, the role he has played for this country and for improving relations between parties And how can we not do it now at his farewell!».
For his part, the president of the PP of the Basque Country, Carlos Iturgaiz, has indicated that “obviously” he has been “marked” by “having been on the same side with Rodolfo Ares in the fight against ETA criminals.”
“Ares and the Socialists were in the same trench with the Popular Party and that is why -he added- ETA wanted to liquidate us and make us physically and politically disappear from this land”.
The general secretary of the CCOO, Unai Sordo, also attended, stressing that Ares “has been a key man in Basque politics in recent decades.”
Neither Podemos nor EHBildu have gone
Neither Elkarrekin Podemos-IU nor EH Bildu have attended the funeral home, and although its general coordinator, Arnaldo Otegi, has reiterated his condolences on Radio Euskadi, he has not wanted to analyze their contribution to peace, implying that it was minor by highlighting that Jesús Eguiguren “did play a fundamental role on the road to peace” and Ares was the representative of Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba in those negotiations.
From the socialist family, on the other hand, the fundamental role played by the Bilbao politician in the end of ETA has been highlighted, something to which Pedro Sánchez has alluded, in a press article, to the former general secretaries of the PSE-EE Ramón Jáuregui, Patxi López and Idoia Mendia or the Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, in the funeral home itself
The president of the PNV, Andoni Ortuzar (i) greets the secretary of Organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán upon his arrival at the funeral chapel of the socialist Rodolfo Ares. EFE/ Luis Tejido
The leaders of the PSE-EE have stressed that Ares “was everything in the party.” “Today a part of Basque socialism is leaving, a part of Euskadi is leaving, but a part of me is also leaving,” confessed Patxi López, who had a very close relationship with Ares.
The former president of the PNV and CEO of Repsol, Josu Jon Imaz; the former president of the Basque High Court, Juan Luis Ibarra; and, of course, numerous current and past leaders of Basque and Spanish socialism. EFE
