A man alleged to be one of the infamous torturers of the Franco regime – known as Billy the Kid for his habit of spinning a gun around his finger as he beat his victims – has been living a peaceful, undisturbed life in the heart of Madrid, even flying out to run the New York marathon on numerous occasions, it has emerged.
Antonio Gonzalez Pacheco’s name stands out as a symbol of the brutality of the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco – he is accused of multiple acts of torture against members of the opposition, and was said to be especially sadistic, telling his victims how much he enjoyed beating them.
His name came to the fore last month when an Argentinian judge called for his extradition along with three other men accused of carrying out Franco’s orders, after receiving a petition from lawyers acting on behalf of his victims in Spain.
Two of the men have since died, but Mr Pacheco and Jesus Munecas Aguilar, a former police officer, could be summoned.
On Sunday, El Mundo newspaper published a photograph of Mr Pacheco showing him running the Madrid half-marathon in 2010, wearing a red top, black shorts – the same colours as the flag of Spain's fascist Falange party – and a 'Run NYC' baseball cap. The 67-year-old finished in just over two hours.
– (Guardian service)