03/23/2006
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ETA announces a permanent ceasefire. A step toward peace
It had been in the air for some time. Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero had indicated
that something might happen before Easter. Then the announcement arrived: In a
communiqué released to the Basque newspaper Gara and on the Basque public radio-television
network, Radio Euskadi, ETA has proclaimed a permanent ceasefire to begin on Friday
March 24. In fact the Basque separatist group hadn’t carried out a fatal terrorist
attack for three years, but now the peace process might become a reality on paper
as well.
The announcement. The ETA statement gives the objective of “starting a democratic process in the
Basque Nation to build a frame to recognize our rights as a people and to allow
the future development of all our political options.” But ETA’s ultimate goal
remains the same as ever. They state, “The result of the democratic process (perhaps
a referendum? – editor’s note),” must be recognized “without limitations” by the
governments of France and Spain, which are requested to “set repression aside,”
and “the decision the Basques make must be respected.” The statement concludes
with a statement of ETA’s “desire and will that the open process result in a truly
democratic Basque Nation, overcoming years of conflict and building a peace based
on justice. Here and now, the end of conflict is possible.”
A Group in Trouble. This is not the first announcement of a ceasefire; in fact it’s the tenth, although
some where called “unilateral suspensions of violence for an indeterminate period.”
The last such promise came in September of 1998, but was interrupted after fourteen
months when ETA claimed that the Popular Party currently running the government
had not maintained its commitment to the peace process. The government in turn
accused the Basque organization of having exploited the ceasefire merely to gain
time and rearm. This time could be different, however. ETA is in trouble, with
hundreds of militants in prison and its political wing, Batasuna, declared illegal
by the Spanish authorities. Above all, there was the murder of Miguel Angel Blanco,
a local politician who was kidnapped and killed after an ultimatum in the summer
of 1997. Since then, ETA has suffered a drop in popularity both in Spain and among
the Basques themselves from which it has been unable to recover. Negotiations
started again under the new Zapatero government. A majority of Parliament was
in favor of negotiations with ETA if the organization demonstrated “a clear intention”
to denounce violence. The group, which Zapatero described last month as at “the
beginning of the end,” seems to have accepted the offer.
The announcement. The ETA statement gives the objective of “starting a democratic process in the
Basque Nation to build a frame to recognize our rights as a people and to allow
the future development of all our political options.” But ETA’s ultimate goal
remains the same as ever. They state, “The result of the democratic process (perhaps
a referendum? – editor’s note),” must be recognized “without limitations” by the
governments of France and Spain, which are requested to “set repression aside,”
and “the decision the Basques make must be respected.” The statement concludes
with a statement of ETA’s “desire and will that the open process result in a truly
democratic Basque Nation, overcoming years of conflict and building a peace based
on justice. Here and now, the end of conflict is possible.”A Group in Trouble. This is not the first announcement of a ceasefire; in fact it’s the tenth, although
some where called “unilateral suspensions of violence for an indeterminate period.”
The last such promise came in September of 1998, but was interrupted after fourteen
months when ETA claimed that the Popular Party currently running the government
had not maintained its commitment to the peace process. The government in turn
accused the Basque organization of having exploited the ceasefire merely to gain
time and rearm. This time could be different, however. ETA is in trouble, with
hundreds of militants in prison and its political wing, Batasuna, declared illegal
by the Spanish authorities. Above all, there was the murder of Miguel Angel Blanco,
a local politician who was kidnapped and killed after an ultimatum in the summer
of 1997. Since then, ETA has suffered a drop in popularity both in Spain and among
the Basques themselves from which it has been unable to recover. Negotiations
started again under the new Zapatero government. A majority of Parliament was
in favor of negotiations with ETA if the organization demonstrated “a clear intention”
to denounce violence. The group, which Zapatero described last month as at “the
beginning of the end,” seems to have accepted the offer.Reactions. The news has been received positively by the political world in Spain, following
Zapatero’s call for “prudence” and the support of all political forces. But the
opposition populist party under Mariano Rajoy says that the ETA ceasefire announcement
isn’t enough. His party demands that ETA be dissolved and accuses Zapatero of
being soft on terrorism. After almost forty years and 817 dead, the peace process
in the Basque country could finally be underway. But just as in Northern Ireland,
it may go on for years.
Alessandro Ursic
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