Hugo Alfredo Irurzun Argentine revolutionary and guerrilla Country: Argentina

1. Early Life and Political Activism
2. Guerrilla Operations
3. The Nicaraguan Revolution
4. The Assassination of Anastasio Somoza
5. Irurzun's Fate and the Aftermath

Early Life and Political Activism

Enrique Gorriarán Merlo, a renowned Argentine revolutionary and guerrilla fighter, was born into a humble family. In the 1970s, he joined the Revolutionary Party of Laborers (PRT) and swiftly ascended as a leading military strategist.

Guerrilla Operations

In 1974, Gorriarán Merlo led a successful attack on a military garrison in Buenos Aires province. He subsequently coordinated guerrilla activities in the mountainous regions of Tucumán, including an unsuccessful attack on an airborne unit in Catamarca that resulted in a fierce battle and the decimation of the guerrilla rearguard.

The Nicaraguan Revolution

In 1976, Gorriarán Merlo traveled to Cuba, where he voiced his opposition to the PRT leadership under Luis Mattini. Along with Hugo Irurzun and other PRT members, he joined the Sandinista struggle in Nicaragua and formed an internationalist guerrilla column. They fought against the National Guard in various regions and entered Managua in triumph in 1979 as the Somoza dictatorship crumbled.

The Assassination of Anastasio Somoza

After the Sandinista Revolution, Gorriarán Merlo and the PRT guerrillas continued their fight against the Contras and planned the assassination of former Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza, who had fled to Paraguay. Irurzun scouted and gathered intelligence, while Gorriarán Merlo coordinated surveillance and the transportation of weapons across the Argentinian border.

On September 17, 1980, the guerrillas launched their operation. Irurzun fired an RPG-2 grenade at Somoza's heavily armored Mercedes-Benz, but missed. Gorriarán Merlo and others engaged in a fierce firefight, pinning down the dictator and his guards. A second RPG shot shredded the car's roof and door, killing Somoza instantly.

Irurzun's Fate and the Aftermath

Tragically, Irurzun was apprehended that same morning and later confirmed to have been brutally tortured to death. The assassination sparked an international outcry and led to the eventual overthrow of the Paraguayan dictator.

Gorriarán Merlo's legacy as a revolutionary fighter and his role in the liberation of Nicaragua continue to inspire and motivate activists around the world.