ETA declares a “permanent” ceasefire, in “general terms” and internationally “verifiable”

Barcelona (ACN).- The Basque terrorist group ETA declared today at noon a “permanent” ceasefire, in “general terms” and “internationally verifiable”. ETA warned international media in advance and sent the written and video statements to the Basque newspaper Gara. The video statement is short and uses ETA’s usual aesthetics and vocabulary. Despite not announcing its dissolution, ETA does point towards a democratic resolution of the conflict. Today’s statement is as close to a definitive end of violence that ETA has ever made, yet the group has not announced its end. After broken ceasefires, fake negotiations and, in particular, more than 800 murders and decades of terror, ETA’s statements have little credibility. ETA calls the Spanish and French Governments to act with “historic responsibility”; however, the Spanish establishment and the vast majority of public opinion want only one single statement: ETA’s disarmament and dissolution. The Spanish Government’s First Vice President and Minister for Home Affairs, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, affirmed that ETA’s announcement is “good news but not THE news”. The President of the Basque Government, Patxi López, emphasised that ETA will not dictate the Basque Country’s future. In Catalonia, where ETA declared a “permanent” ceasefire in February 2004 and has since never acted, reactions have been generally optimistic but prudent.

Spanish Vice President Rubalcaba insisted that the Spanish Government will not put a price on the end of violence and ETA’s dissolution. The ruling Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), the opposition People’s Party (PP) and many opinion leaders and organisations made statements in similar terms to those of the Spanish Government. ETA’s statement, in which its dissolutiuon is not announced, was expected over the last few months. Alongside this, the reaction of the Spanish establishment has also remained in line with expectations.

The President of the Basque Country’s Government, the Socialist Patxi López, declared this afternoon that ETA’s statement signals the victory of Democracy and ETA’s acknowledgement that its end is near and inevitable. However, in line with his party colleague Rubalcaba, López affirmed that today’s statement is not the definitive statement that he would have liked to have heard. In addition, he made it clear that he will not allow ETA to dictate the Basque Country’s future.

ETA asks for the right to self-determination , allowing the Basque people to decide its own future. In its statement, ETA declared that the solution to the Basque conflict will come through a “democratic process”, which must have the Basque’s people’s will as the main reference. However, ETA does not completely abandon violence. The ceasefire is “permanent” and in “general terms”, which could mean that ETA refuses to use any kind of violence, such as intimidation, extortion or street vandalism. Nevertheless, it does not mention disarmament nor its dissolution. ETA has also added conditions to the ceasefire, including recognition of the Basque Country’s entirety (including Navarra and French Basque Country) as well as its right to self-determination.

In Catalonia, the reactions have been a bit more optimistic, but remain cautious. The Catalan Minister for Home Affairs and acting spokesperson of the ruling Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU), Felip Puig, confessed to have “a feeling of caution and hope” regarding ETA’s statement. Puig said that he hopes today’s statement is to be the last. In addition, Puig promised that CiU will give full political and institutional support to the moderate Basque Nationalist Party (PNB), which has been fighting against ETA over the past few decades. The Catalan Socialist Party and the Catalan People’s Party have reacted along the same lines as their Madrid colleagues. The other Catalan parties have been more optimistic and have emphasised that it is a step in the right direction.