The End of ETA

 The Basque region of Spain is a small region along the French-Spanish border.  They have their own specific language and a culture very different from the rest of Spain.  Since 1959 ETA has existed with the goal of creating a separate Basque nation.  The group is responsible for 829 deaths as well as many more kidnappings and injuries.  Initially ETA was blamed for the 2004 train bombing in Madrid, which was later tied to Al Qaeda.  In October, the Basque terrorist group ETA officially announced an end to all of their armed activity.  The group has declared cease-fires before, however all have been broken.  There appears to be hope that this is the end of ETA, since this is the first time they have announced a definitive end to their armed activities and not just a ceasefire.

A few days prior to announcing the end, there was an International Peace Conference in the Basque region attended by Kofi Annan, Bertie Ahern, and other diplomatic figures.  I happened to be with some of the teachers when they were talking about the Peace Conference and they all seemed hopeful that it would mean an end to ETA for good.  ETA signed a declaration ending all of their armed activity therefore ending the violence.  The declaration was supported by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Former US President Jimmy Carter and former US Senator George Mitchell.  ETA will begin talks with the Spanish and French governments as how to move forward in the peace process.  There still is some concern because although this is the first definitive statement calling for an end to violence, ETA has broken cease-fire agreements in the past.  The Spanish Interior Minister warns that the most difficult task lies ahead, which is ensuring that this truly is the end of terrorist activities in Spain.

As I have previously mentioned, Northern Spain is very different from Southern Spain.  Don’t expect to see any Flamenco dancers or to see the Moorish influenced on architecture.  The Moors came to Spain in 711 and conquered the majority of the peninsula.  However, in 722 the Moors were driven from the Christian kingdom of Asturias(the region directly to the East of Galicia) and in 739 the Moors were driven from Galicia.   Frankish forces drove the Muslims out of the region south of the Pyrenees, creating a Christian kingdom in the region north of the Ebro and Duero rivers.  

Muslim Spain didn’t fall to the Christian kingdom until the 13^th century, and in 1492 Isabel and Ferdinand recaptured Granada ending the last presence of Muslim rule in Spain.  For hundreds of years, Northern and Southern Spain had completely different influences.  Northern Spain had the influence of the Celts Southern Spain the Moors. There are four official languages in Spain, three of which are spoken in Northern Spain.  The regions of Northern Spain are very proud of their heritage and are committed to keeping their history alive, which can lead to conflict when they feel the Spanish government does not give them enough autonomy.  In Galicia, there is a lot of pride toward their national language, Gallego, particularly in smaller towns like Laxe.  Some of my students in the primary school are so used to speaking Gallego at home that they forget to speak to me in Castilian, or what we would call Spanish.  One of the teachers told me there are separatist groups for most of the regions of Northern Spain, but none of them have turned to violence the way ETA has.  Hopefully this will be the end of ETA for good, and represent the end of violence in the Northern Spain separatist groups.