During the years of violence when ETA was ravaging Spain, bodyguards became shadows that protected their charges, learning to blend in with them and forget their own steps. In a forced relationship, bonds were woven in all directions, even in hostile places like Rentería, where protectees and bodyguards found unexpected refuge in each other.
Amidst the constant tension, there was also space for love. While guarding the skin of those they protected, bodyguards discovered souls, secrets, and desires, often finding a reflection of their own fears in those of the protectees. Some impossible friendships emerged, while in other cases, coexistence became unbearable.
Journalist Israel Viana continues to delve into this reality, exploring the most human side of a profession marked by surveillance and forced proximity. Supported by Javier Pagola, who was the ABC correspondent in the Basque Country at that time, Viana continues to unravel the stories of those bodyguards who became the shadow protecting against ETA. Living together amidst constant pressure proved to be a difficult art to master.
