October 20th, 2011
01:46 PM ET

Basque separatist group ETA announces 'definitive' ceasefire

The Basque separatist group ETA announced Thursday a "definitive cessation of its armed activity" in a statement published on the website of Gara, a newspaper that the group has used to convey messages in the past.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Spain, the United States and the European Union, ETA is blamed for hundreds of deaths in its decades-long fight for an independent Basque state that it wants carved out of sections of northern Spain and southwestern France.

Thursday's announcement follows a recent push for the group to abandon violence permanently. That effort was led by international figures who include Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams of Northern Ireland and former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In a nationally televised address hours after the announcement was posted, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero termed ETA's announcement as being of "transcendental importance" and a "victory for democracy."

"Ours will be a democracy without terrorism, but not without memory," Zapatero said, referring to 829 people killed by ETA and their families.

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Filed under: Spain
soundoff (17 Responses)
  1. BOND, JAMES

    Who?, what?, where?

    October 20, 2011 at 1:55 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Pedro'

    PETA shouldnt have guns.

    October 20, 2011 at 3:09 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Okey~Agu

    They had better renounce violence.

    October 20, 2011 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
  4. George Patton

    It appears that the tragedy in Libya is being paralled in Spain. The Basques both need and deserve their independence from Spain. If South Sudan can gain their independence from the North, then why not Vascagondas from Spain???

    October 20, 2011 at 3:27 pm | Report abuse |
    • Belen chiloeches

      You should ask that to the families of the 900 assasinated people, they maybe have some interesting answers about independence, democracy and the halt of violence...

      October 20, 2011 at 3:39 pm | Report abuse |
    • Maldito Roedor

      You know nothing, man. You really stupid. Where are you from? Why not vascongadas from spain? For the same reason that Lincoln believed the south has no right to abandon Union. But with 1.000 years of history of unity more than US. You understand spanish? So, read this http://goo.gl/GGwlz

      October 20, 2011 at 6:27 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bimbo the Birthday Clown

      Well said, George. In fact, if I were living 150 years ago, I probably would have joined the Confederate Army during the Civil War as I believe every country has a right to secede from the master state like we did in 1776 from England.

      October 20, 2011 at 7:36 pm | Report abuse |
    • The Maldito Roedor

      Read something more about history and you will have the answer by yourself...

      January 9, 2013 at 1:59 pm | Report abuse |
  5. shut up, george patton

    .

    October 20, 2011 at 4:01 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Trinity

    George patton is a troll. Pay him no mind.

    October 20, 2011 at 6:30 pm | Report abuse |
  7. s kel

    Im going to boycott the Basque resturants in Bakersfield CA utill peace is made by the Basque in Spain.

    October 20, 2011 at 7:14 pm | Report abuse |
  8. banasy©

    How often do you get there, s kel?

    October 20, 2011 at 7:21 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bimbo the Birthday Clown

      If you mindless Tea Partiers want to blog your senseless crap to one another, why don't you just go on Facebook and leave this web page for the rest of us to discuss these topics on hand here? But I guess that you won't, will you?

      October 20, 2011 at 7:31 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Basque

    Today, it is a happy day for all Basques; however, we must be cautios. We should rest in peace the day ETA is dismantled for good.
    Just to put everything in perspective, my little niece does not want speak Basque (her grandfather's mother tongue) because a couple of bombs put by ETA next to her residence exploted when she was at home. She felt the window frames shake and hear loud noise of the explosions. She does not want to have anything in common with them. Also, when the Spanish police found one of ETA's many hide-out places, they found a list of names of future targets. My father was on that list. His sin was just to be an executive. When you live through horrible situations like this, you have to be cautios.

    October 20, 2011 at 8:09 pm | Report abuse |
  10. banasy©

    My postings are no more senseless than yours, troll.

    October 20, 2011 at 8:14 pm | Report abuse |
  11. banasy©

    @Basque:
    Thank you for sharing your story.
    Do not be disheartened by those who act like they know what they're talking about yet have never walked a mile in your shoes. Know that the majority of the US is firmly behind you, the citizens.
    We are praying for you.

    October 20, 2011 at 8:17 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Don

    @ Dear James Bond.
    If you were as smart as James Bond , you would know what the talk is about.

    Thwe world around you is not limited to your salary, democrats , republicans and jobs that you cant get. You are smart to comment here, but not smart enough to get onto the damn search engine.

    October 21, 2011 at 12:47 am | Report abuse |
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