We publish here the first part of the interview ETA (the Basque armed organization) gave to the daily Basque GARA on 11 November. The interview has been translated into English by Darrin Wood for Basque Peace Process.

GARA interviewed two members of ETA. It was the first appearance of members of the organization after their declaration of a definitive cessation of armed activity announced on October 20th.

The interview deals with many subjects: what brought the organization to make this decision, their evaluation of the reactions to the same, the International Conference, the role of prisoners and refugees in the new scenario, the role of ETA itself, the different spaces of negotiation, the political solution to the conflict and many other items of political interest

INTERVIEW

ETA’s declaration has a historical character. After 50 years, how did the organization come to make this decision?

The decision is connected to a historical moment in the liberation process. Although the decision comes now, the origin of the decision can be situated, at least, to a decade before, when we began to consider that in Euskal Herria there were conditions for the materialization of change. However, seen since then, it hasn’t been a structured or lineal process. We can say that it supposed a process of maturation of a profound reflection.

In the middle of this reflection a question came up: if we have frustrated the attempt at assimilation and there are conditions for change, what must we do so that these conditions are decisive factors in effecting it?

At the same time a new reality came up. The potential that the experience of Lizarra-Garazi sat off all of the alarms in the State which decided to make a huge jump in their strategy: leave the Abertzale Left, through illegalization, out of the political scenery. Without a social base, without a political-institutional reference, with the options of deepening national construction annulled, the objective of the state consists in reducing the initiative of the Abertzale Left to only the armed struggle, with the hope that police repression would neutralize it.

All that provoked a halt in the liberation process: an obstacle. And what was even more prejudicial it put in grave danger the conditions created. The Abertzale Left had to take the initiative to escape this trap and to set the bases for a new political cycle whose objective should be to materialize the change. But it can’t be done just any way. Credibility had to be given to the path to be travelled; it was precise to give a decisive impulse to open the new cycle in all its dimensions. A cycle had to be closed to be able to open everything anew. And this deeply influenced on the armed struggle.

So, apart from the historical moment, there had to be a debate, specifically, about the armed struggle…

Yes, that’s right. And it’s not an easy debate. But the principal preoccupation was the following: if Euskal Herria continues to be oppressed and its rights violated, what are we going to do to destroy the wall put up by the States? In our understanding, in these 50 years, the armed struggle has made its contribution, a great contribution, to get to the moment where we are and to generate the existent conditions. But it has also shown signs of exhaustion to, from now on, strengthen the process and achieve better conditions. In the moment in which we find ourselves, achieving wider adhesion to our project, accumulation forces to confront the State as a people and to activate the social majority that’s in favor of change will be the keys to tearing down that wall. That is why ETA has made this historic decision. To harvest the crops of these years of struggle and to put it at the service of this strategy.

However, Spanish authorities say that the decision is the fruit of defeat. How would you answer them?

The discourse of defeat is part of the States’ strategy, fabricated with the objective of provoking discouragement in the Abertzale Left and neutralizing the options that this decision opens at this moment politically. However, the reality is much different; the nervousness becomes notorious among those who found themselves comfortable with the previous situation. As we have pointed out, the States set the trap to finish off the Abertzale Left, but we escaped it and brought the confrontation to a new scenario, out of their control.

What’s more, the Abertzale Left hasn’t varied in its political objectives, it hasn’t stopped fighting. On the contrary, the support and options to achieve these goals have increased; the credibility of the proposed path has also increased. Independence has been firmly structured and provided with new resources. The recognition of Euskal Herria and its right to decide is a reclamation of the majority of Basque society. State repression and their closed attitude are eroding more every day. The conflict is for everyone to see and the necessity for its resolution is at the center of political debate. And Spain and France know that they will just have more difficulties in sidestepping this situation. We still have a good deal ahead before we reach liberation, and it won’t be easy, but we are on it. With total determination.

I know that is not a common examination for you, but, what have you felt after making this decision?

It’s not easy to explain what we have inside. Many feelings are accumulated. A decision of this depth brings to mind all of the comrades who belong, or have belonged, to this organization. To the comrades who the struggle has taken away forever. To those who still are prisoners. To the citizens of all of Euskal Herria who have helped ETA. To the Abertzale Left. It brings to mind all of the hard moments of the struggle, its difficult moments, the suffering. But, also, the fine moments lived with comrades. The joys that it has produced in us and the sadness that the struggle has given us.

There is a big feeling of responsibility. For these comrades, for Euskal Herria, for the struggle for liberation. There also exists happiness and pride for all that this organization, from its smallness, has done until now. There is conviction and hope for the new scenario that has opened in the process of the struggle. The hope of offering a future of freedom to our sons and daughters.

And, there is no denying it, there is a feeling of having lost something, the same feeling that many people have had in Euskal Herria. Because ETA is not just the members of us who belong to it. ETA, above all, is of the people. The path taken until now has marked the lives of all of us. It has given us a way of being, an identity. It has given it to Euskal Herria. And even knowing that it’s about a decision to give an impulse to the liberation struggle, it’s difficult to avoid this internal lump provoked by so much accumulated suffering.

How do you evaluate the reactions obtained by the declaration?

You can say that, in the majority of cases, they have followed the pre-established script. However, it must be highlighted that all have pointed out the importance of this historical decision. Everyone knows that a new cycle has opened and they have wanted to fix their position with respect to this new period.

On the other hand, in general, many positive responses from Basque society and leaders have been received. The decision has strengthened the reclamation for an integral solution and concrete steps have been demanded of Madrid and Paris. Both sides have not been up to the task. How can they propose that nothing must be done when Basque society and important international leaders are directly formally questioning them? The government in Gasteiz has also been walking around cluelessly far from the Basque reality. It is good to open a round of dialogue with diverse leaders but it is pretty embarrassing that an initiative begun with urgency has as an objective to say that there is no urgency.

In any case, more important than the actual reactions will be the behavior of each actor in the future, and not just on the part of the French and Spanish governments. In Euskal Herria some have put as an excuse the armed activity of ETA. This has ended. And know what? What will ELA do? What will the PNV do in favor of Euskal Herria? What will be done to achieve the right to decide? What will the PSOE, PP and UPN do before the demands of the majority of Basque society?

Some have pointed out the “prudence” of Rajoy. Do you share this appreciation?

It’s true that this reaction breaks with the negative, aggressive and senseless discourse until now. Before this historical conjecture, he who has many possibilities to be president of Spain must act with responsibility and one supposes that Rajoy has understood it this way.

The declaration is the response that you have given to the International Conference, but it goes beyond that, no?

Yes. Although it is situated in the roadmap that the International Conference drew, the decision has a strategic dimension and it responds to the cycle opened in the liberation process.

However, the Conference has supposed a milestone. Does ETA have any relation, directly o indirectly, with international leaders?

Yes. Just as we pointed out in the communiqué at the end of September, we have been working for a long time to impulse a process of solution and, for that, it’s turned out to be very important to increase the participation of the international community. For that, we haven’t only had a relation but we have made commitments before them.

And with the Spanish government?

No direct reunion has taken place between ETA and the Spanish government. However, we can say that, in the last few months, we have had a shared knowledge and that the PP is aware of it.

One of the contributions of the International Conference was to address the French Government. How should they respond?

They will have to give a positive response. France is part of the conflict and must have a direct participation in its resolution. What’s more, in France, every time more voices are rising asking for steps from the government. They can’t elude their responsibility any longer as if it were a merely Spanish problem.

Has there been any type of agreement, bases set for a pact or something similar?

In the first place, it must be pointed out that the actual process is different in respect to what we have known until now. Before the stubbornness of the states, the Abertzale Left made the decision to initiate it on its own, without waiting on the will of the states. That is why they have directed their initiative and commitments towards Euskal Herria and the International community, to activate even more forces in favor of a fair and democratic solution to the conflict, until we achieve, little by little, a rupture the state strategy. It was a brave decision and we believe it is bearing fruit. The states maintain their stubbornness, but every time with bigger difficulties, every time with more weakening.

Going back to your question, no concrete agreement or resolution exists for overcoming the conflict, but the sequence of steps to be taken are being drawn that the way to a solution must follow, composing a kind of a roadmap. The steps that the different parts must take are set and there must be advance on them.

The Spanish general elections are around the corner and it’s a given that there will be a change in the government. Taking into account the very hard-line positions that the PP has maintained, what consequences can this have?

In our opinion, whichever party administers the Spanish government won’t entail a decisive variable. What’s more, in comparison with the PP you can’t say that the PSOE government has shown any special intention for undertaking a democratic solution to the conflict.

Whatever color the Spanish government is they will have on the table the conflict they maintain with Euskal Herria. They will also have the call made by the international Conference and by ETA itself. They will also have the demands of ample sectors of Basque society to respect the rights of political prisoners, for them to end the strategy of illegalization and to recognize the rights of the Basque people. In our judgment, without falling into any speculations, the key is found even more so in the citizens who are committed to these demands and for the pressure to rise.