Mediaset España, in collaboration with the production company Onza, is working on a new documentary series that reconstructs, from the inside, the police operation that ended decades of ETA terrorism. The project, titled En el nombre de Miguel: Así derrotamos a ETA, arrives shortly after the anniversary of the definitive cessation of the organization's armed activity, announced on October 20, 2011.
The production takes on special meaning at a time when the memory of the end of ETA continues to generate media and social interest, and in which various platforms and production companies have turned their gaze toward the final years of the terrorist group and those who worked, often in anonymity, to put an end to it.
A three-episode series built with unpublished material
The documentary series will consist of three episodes and will narrate how the State Security Forces and Corps managed to capture the leadership of ETA and completely dismantle the terrorist organization. The account is supported by the testimony of agents who risked their lives for more than a decade in tracking and investigation work on the front line.
To reconstruct those years, the production draws on hundreds of audiovisual archives recorded by the agents themselves, many of them never shown to the public until now. This graphic material will serve to explain in detail how the surveillance work, police operations, and arrests of some of the group's top leaders were carried out.
The arrests of the ETA leadership
Among the names that will appear in the series are top-level ETA leaders, whose arrest marked decisive milestones in the decline of the organization: Kantauri, Txapote, Olarra Guridi, Susper, Thierry and Txeroki. Their captures, those responsible for the project explain, were the result of years of silent and high-risk police work.
The trigger: the assassination of Miguel Ángel Blanco
The title of the documentary series makes direct reference to the turning point that marked the beginning of this definitive offensive against ETA: the assassination of Miguel Ángel Blanco in 1997. That crime, as stated in the series proposal, was the trigger that led the Security Forces to set a firm goal of ending the terrorist group.
Since then, and for more than a decade of investigations, the agents involved worked until they achieved the final blow that led to the definitive cessation of ETA's armed activity, announced on October 20, 2011.
A team with experience in investigative journalism
The series is created by Daniel Campos, a journalist, writer, and former Director of Communications for the Ministry of the Interior, whose knowledge of the State security sphere brings a direct perspective to the story.
Serving as showrunner and director is Tomás Ocaña, a journalist whose career in the field of investigation has been recognized with three Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award in 2013. Under his direction, the documentary is presented as a 15-year journey that seeks to pay tribute to the work of the men and women who, with their effort and commitment, contributed to ending ETA terrorism.
Telecinco Cinema also bets on the memory of Miguel Ángel Blanco
Mediaset's interest in this historical period is not limited to the documentary format. Telecinco Cinema is involved in the feature film El hijo de todos, directed by Álvaro Brechner and inspired by the kidnapping and assassination of Miguel Ángel Blanco, which confirms the audiovisual group's interest in addressing this chapter from different narrative angles.
Frequently asked questions
Who is producing En el nombre de Miguel: Así derrotamos a ETA?
The documentary series is a joint production of Mediaset España and the production company Onza.
How many episodes will the series have?
It will consist of three episodes focused on the dismantling of ETA and the capture of its leadership.
What event marks the beginning of the story?
The assassination of Miguel Ángel Blanco in 1997, which prompted the Security Forces to intensify the fight against ETA.
Which ETA leaders appear in the series?
Among others, the arrests of Kantauri, Txapote, Olarra Guridi, Susper, Thierry and Txeroki are addressed.
Who is leading the project?
Daniel Campos as creator and Tomás Ocaña as showrunner and director, both journalists with extensive experience in investigation.
Is it related to any Mediaset film?
Yes, Telecinco Cinema is participating in El hijo de todos, a film by Álvaro Brechner about the kidnapping and assassination of Miguel Ángel Blanco.
