News, April 2007

ETA peace process blown apart

2nd January '07 and following. For 8 months Spain hoped against hope that the terrorism of ETA would finally have ended. On 2nd March, 2006, ETA announced a 'permanent ceasefire' in the hope that a 'solution' to the Basque problem could be found. Then, on 30th December a mega car bomb exploded in the central car park of Madrid's new Airport terminal. Two immigrants were killed. During the months of 'peace process and in the aftermath of the bombing, politicians have bickered over how to deal with the complex situation.

The Basque extremists (ETA and its political wing Batasuna) want the establishment of a new Basque homeland, including Navarre and part of France. Immediately some welcomed the move, while others rejected any possibility of paying this kind of 'political price' for peace. With parties split on what to do, police and judicial action continued against ETA, while gradually violence returned to the streets of the Basque Country.

Immediately news got out about the bomb, the peace process was pronounced at an end by the government and the search for the victims began. Two Ecuadorians had been resting in cars awaiting the arrival of family and friends from their homeland. Both were found dead days later. Politicians cannot agree on how to proceed, especialy in the event of and ETA pronouncement regretting the deaths and one from Batasuna, the political wing of ETA calling for an end to the violence, but coming short of making a final rejection of all violent menas and an apology for earlier attitudes. The conservative Partido Popular continues to call for total 'surrrender', while the Socialist led government is still open to hold 'talks' if they can bring an end to the violence, albeit that they are also unwilling to go far in making concessions, or 'paying a political price' for peace. The Basque regional government, standing closer to Basque separatist aspitrations, although by democratic means and compppromise, is finding a middle way hard to find after the bombing. No one has managed to unite the diverging opinions, so real and lasting peace seems as far as ever.

On 4th February ETA convict and hunger striker De Juana Chaos was interviewed by The Times. He said:

“I am completely in agreement with the democratic process of dialogue and negotiation . . . to resolve the political conflict between the Basque region and the French and Spanish states,” de Juana told The Times from his secure hospital room in Madrid, where he is being force-fed by authorities. “After the event at Barajas . . . resolution of the conflict is more necessary than ever,” he said in written answers.