THE BASQUE CONFLICT By Luciana Sorrentino, Sofía Zini, Nicolás Belloni, Lautaro Solís and Santiago Lafuente

INTRODUCTION The Basque / Spain ETA conflict Armed and political conflict October 20, 1959 to July 31, 2011 Euskadia (Basque) wanted to be an independent state.

BASQUE-SPAIN AND BASQUE-FRANCE Iberian Peninsula, between the North of Spain and the South of France. BASQUE COUNTRY: Álava, Vizcaya, Guipúzcoa IPARRALDE (Northern Basque Country, Spain): Labort, Baja Navarra Sola

BASQUE CHARACTERISTICS History Culture Language LANGUAGE: BASQUE-SPAIN: Euskera, Spanish. IPARRALDE: French, Euskera.

Spain stance in Basque’s Independence Spain didn’t agree with the fact of Euskadia having autonomy and independence, and if Spain accepted, it would have had a lot of consequences, principally in economy.

Different opinions Basque-Spain: Àlava was always mostly in favour of Spain. Vizcaya agreed in having more autonomy rather than independence. IPARRALDE: Some cities like Bajo Navarra had people that didn´t agree with the idea of being part of the Basque Country, only to be identified as French.

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) Emerged in 1959 in response to General Francisco Franco's repression of Basque identity. ETA was a separatist group, using terrorist attacks to express their desire . Their objectives were : Defend the Euskara language Ethnicism “antiespañolismo” The independence of the countries that still belong to Euskadi according to them. (Alava, Vizcaya, Guipuzcoa, Navarra, Lapurdi, Nafarroa Beherea and Zuberoa).

ETA recruited mainly young people, because they were easier to convince. This organization killed 856 people and hurt more people. Their contempt for human rights led them to be considered a "terrorist group" by the Spanish, European and American authorities.

ETA – Main murders The murder of José Pardines (a civil guard) in Spain on June 7, 1968 is considered the first murder committed by them. In 1973, ETA killed the president of Government, Luis Carrero Blanco, stating that “Carrero Blanco symbolized better than anyone else the figure of "pure Francoism" and without totally linking himself to any of the Francoist tendencies, he covertly attempted to push Opus Dei (an institution of the catholic church) into power”.

ETA – Main murders On 1997, Blanco was kidnapped by ETA and those asked the Spanish Government to move the ETA prisoners to prisons in the Basque Country. This petition had no response, and they shot him in the head. This murder had a main impact in the Basque community, and had a big social disaprovement where even ETA members would change to another organization.

Where occurred the attacks? In a lot of cities from Spain, as Madrid, Barcelona and Seville. This also happened in some zones of France, but in these cases the attacks were insignificant. When they didn´t have any more France to keep hide, they started to go and been well received in leftist countries, like Argentina (In the period of Cristina Kirchner), Nicaragua, Ecuador, between others. One of the main leaders of Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), José Antonio Urrutikoetxea Bengoechea, alias 'Josu Ternera', described by Spain as the most wanted fugitive of the Basque separatist group, was arrested in France on Thursday, May 16, 2019 after be fugitive for 17 years fleeing the justice of both countries.

But why? Because in that period Spain was in dictatorship, while France was in Democracy. ETA and other terrorist groups took advantage the chance of being infiltrates in France as Political refugees. Until Spain came to democracy.

The end of the conflict? In 1978, a Statute of Autonomy was signed after Spain’s transition to democracy. The statute offered them autonomy, but not independence. That’s why ETA didn’t stop, as they said “the transition isn’t complete ETA declared a ceasefire on 2010, and in 2017 they declare their disarment.Finally, ETA declares their end in 2018.

At the present day… 22% of the inhabitants of the Basque Autonomous Community feel only Basque. another 22% feel more Basque than Spanish According. 46% of The inhabitants of the Basque Autonomous Community consider themselves Basque nationalists, compared to 50% who think otherwise.

CONCLUSION