There have been many signs that genuine change is afoot in the Basque Country in recent months, as ETA’s political support has repeatedly urged the organisation to give a clear statement showing it is committed to a non-violent future. For the most part these expectations have not been met, with ETA failing to deliver – most recently in a January ceasefire statement that contained some new resolutions, but ultimately not enough. But the unveiling on February 7 of a new party, Sortu, suggests that with or without ETA’s backing, the pro-independence landscape in the northern region has changed. Sortu, which means “to rise up” or “be born” in euskera, is a reincarnation of sorts … [Read more...] about Sortu puts spotlight on Spanish justice system
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Batasuna does legwork as ETA inches towards Basque peace
As ETA moves closer to what looks potentially like a full ceasefire that commits the Basque group to laying down its weapons once and for all, Spain’s politicians are offering some strictly scripted rhetoric. For most mainstream Spanish parties, scepticism and suspicion are the watchwords as they comment on ETA’s shift towards what could be lasting peace and the end of the separatist organisation’s 51-year history. The group’s September 5 announcement that it had halted all “armed offensive actions” was deemed too half-hearted and vague by the governing Socialists and the opposition Popular Party (PP). They regarded it as a ploy to ensure the legalisation of ETA’s political support, … [Read more...] about Batasuna does legwork as ETA inches towards Basque peace
Politics is ETA’s problem as it seeks global stage
When Nobel Peace Prize laureates F.W. de Klerk, Desmond Tutu and John Hume all back an initiative together with the support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, it is bound to carry some weight. It is also likely to be a project with major international repercussions. But when South African human rights lawyer Brian Currin presented to the European Parliament a resolution backed by the above and another 17 figures from the world of politics and conflict mediation on March 29, the issue at hand was the relationship between the Basque Country, the small region in northern Spain, and Madrid. The statement sought to contribute to resolving what it called “the last remaining conflict in … [Read more...] about Politics is ETA’s problem as it seeks global stage