Strides Towards Peace in the Basque Region

When one speaks of what is being done to resolve the ethnic conflict in the Basque region of Spain one might have to look at the covert aspects rather than the overt. The ethnic conflict has been occurring for decades and for some might finally be reaching a conclusion. Although, to others there is no true end in site and no real solution.

So what is presently being done and what has previously been attempted at ceasing the violence erupting in Spain? According to a Houston newspaper the terrorist group Basque Homeland and Liberty (ETA) announced a permanent cease-fire in March of 2006. Since then little or nothing has occurred as far as negotiations are concerned and the ETA is getting frustrated. That is why on October 3, 2006 Tony Blair visited Madrid to lend a hand in the peace process (Govan, 1). Many people including Mr. Zapatero see this as helpful as Mr. Blair was adept in negotiating a compromise in Ireland where a similar conflict is occurring (Govan, 1).

Although, the violence has ceased many people are still skeptical of the ETA (Houston Chronicle, 8). Spaniards as well as the Prime Minister are wary that the ETA might use this cease-fire to rearm and renege their cease-fire if they do not get what they fully desire (Houston Chronicle, 8). They of course are referring to a past cease-fire offered on September 18, 2006 (Drago, 1). On November 29, 1999 the ETA ended this cease-fire because it felt the government was hindering their efforts through oppression and neglect of an independent Basque state (Spetalnick, 1).

Besides simple cease-fires the Spanish government has attempted to appease the ETA and the Basque people. After the dictatorship of Franco the democratic government lent some autonomy to the Basque Country, by allowing them their own representative local government (Douglass & Zulaika, 246). This obviously wasn’t enough as violence continued throughout up until about May 2003 (Economist, 53). The ETA’s original goal in 1959 was to liberate themselves from a “foreign power”