The
Begoña Bombing was an attack in the
Basilica of Begoña in the
Bilbao neighbourhood in
Begoña on August 16, 1942, during the first period of the Franco regime (1936–1959), in which a hand grenade, thrown by the
Falangist Juan José Domínguez Muñoz, caused seventy minor injuries. The act was interpreted as a failed attempt on the life of
Carlist General
José Enrique Varela, the Minister of War.
Francisco Franco used the incident at Begoña to unseat the Falangists from power, including his brother-in-law Ramón Serrano Suñer, Foreign Minister, Valentín Galarza Morante, Minister of the Interior, and General José Enrique Varela, Minister of Defense.He also removed Head of the Falangist militia, José Luna Meléndez, despite having declared his loyalty to
Generalísimo. His replacement was Manuel Mora Figueroa.