Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service Nº206
For the Spanish state, the Basque left is not a group that have rights but a potential beneficiary of favors. According to this absolutist theory, their participation in the political life exclusively depends on their behavior: If they behave in the way claimed by the State, they will be allow to participate; if not, they will be excluded. Even worse, trying to make the victims responsible of the State despotism, the State say they are excluding themselves.
On May 2007, the State persecute and illegalized the lists of candidates of the Basque left in a relentless way, but they allow a few of them, the ones that suited the State interests. As the failed talks were still not closed, they wanted to transmit to the Basque left this evil message "If you surrender, we will give you this and even more". They did not surrender and the strategy consisting in the offer of little concessions failed. From this moment, denying rights is little in keeping with ethics, but it is in keeping with the antidemocratic interests of the State: To illegalize the few allowed lists reinforce the image of strength against the Basque left. Regrettably, this strategy allows the State to win votes. On the other side, to illegalize the few plots of freedom left is another message to the Basque left: "This is what deserve the ones that to not surrender faced with the State exigencies. You will rot in out of the law because this is what you chose "
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service Nº205
The Strasbourg European Court on Human Rights has recently upheld Batasuna's appeal against the Spanish state's illegalization of this political party, and of other Basque left political organizations.
At the same time, the Spanish justice -specially The Spanish National Court- keeps on pronouncing sentences against freedom of expression, verdicts that imprison lots of people, in a preventive way and without evidences. The more scandalous have been the political direction of Batasuna's imprisonment, and the macro-summary 19/98 verdict that sentences 47 our of the 56 defendants to 525 years imprisonment. As we said in the previous bulletin, faced with this judicial outrage many people remain impassive, but many other people who are not in the Basque Country donounce it. In this bulletin we also select some of this testimonies. We hope the quoted text do not loose part of their meaning when taken out of its context.
* The photo Garzón, Grande-Marlaska and Juan del Olmo, judges of the Audiencia Nacional court created by the Franco.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service Nº204
The result of the wave of repression promoted by Madrid, coordinated with Paris, has been the ongoing state of emergency in the Basque Country: false trials, massive arrests, persecution of the freedom of expression, endless illegalizations, extreme tortures ... Faced with these outrages, there are many people who remain impassive or even applaud the repressive measures. But, luckily, there are also many lucid minds and people feeling the solidarity who, out of the Basque Country, denounce all theses outrages that are taking place. In this bulletin we select some of this testimonies. We hope the quoted text do not loose part of their meaning when taken out of its context.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service Nº203
Social confrontation due to HST's route is becoming worse. The Basque, Spanish and Navarra governments become the agents and guarantors of capitalists interests. The left sectors of society defend popular interests. The governments were sure that they would be able to neutralize the popular movement against this devastating macro-project. But as popular sector become more organized and able to answer, the governments are more and more worry.
In this video you can wacth to the first referendum aboat the High Speed Train in Urbina (Araba).
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's Information service Nº 201
On November 24, the Forum for National Debate held their yearly meeting. 150 people for different origins brought the analysis of the Basque Country up to date and settled on the strategies to follow as a nation for next months.
The Spanish state is following the ultra-reactionary global security doctrine to the letter; Spain is using the war against terror to asphyxiate the claims of the Basque people. The beginner was Aznar: massive suspicion, preventive detentions, massive illegalizations, deprivation of universal rights, politicized justice ... The government changed in Spain, but the policy do not. Zapatero followed this absurd antiterrorist policy. Everything (but human rights) can be used against the Basque dissidence.
On November 30 started the massive capture of 46 people, Basque left activists, who had been judged in an unfair trail, and who are now imprisoned before the sentence is pronounced. This is the result of a punitive justice that before the trial starts, had decided to punish by all means the defendants.
We, people involved in changing process are very conscious of the key role played by the media at the political fight: sometimes, they are allies with popular causes, but must of times they are enemies: steady agitators against Allende's Unidad Popular in Chili, pro-coup instigators in Venezuela, supporters of the imperialist terrorism in Iraq, collaborators with the Zionist genocide against the Palestinian people... Critical studies about the media role as counter-insurgent agents and as diffuser of the reactionary ideology are very usefull.
Manifestación en contra del cierre de 'Egunkaria'.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service N.198
The Basque Left has often faced this dilemma: To take or not take part in the Spanish Parliament. Those who were in favour used an argument defended by Che Guevara: Revolutionary forces must take advantage of every gap offered by bourgeois democracies; we must not miss any space that could be useful for us to develop the popular fight. Those who were against argued that the Basque pro-independence presence in the Spanish Parliament would reinforce the idea of a Basque Country belonging to a Spanish State from which we want to be independent, and this presence would consolidate the validity of an institution that is the main expression of our lack of sovereignty.
The facts reflect this debate: The Basque Left has occasionally participated in the Parliament, whereas other times this presence has been just symbolic and punctual... In fact, since 1996 the Basque Left has not take part in the Spanish Parliament.
En el vídeo manifestación de ANV el 24 de Noviembre en Tafalla (Nafarroa)
Two little Spanish extreme right factions made a formal complaint against five members of Batasuna, against two of the Euskadi Socialist Party, and against the Basque President Ibarretxe himself. The factions accused all of them of disobedience, as the members of the Socialist Party and the Basque President met the members of Batasuna, and it is forbidden by the Spanish Parties Law. The ones who made the complaint are visceral anti-Basque people, as current legislation that protect them.
On October 30, the examining magistrate decided to institute proceedings against them. All of them might be sentenced to several year imprisonment; the sentence asked for the members of Batasuna is double as they attended more meetings.
*In the photo, meeting between Batasuna and PSOE, the three Batsuna's members in he photo are in prison.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's Information Service, Nº 196
In this second part we will show the content of President Ibarretxe's "road map", its timing and the reasons of this new fraud, by PNV and PSOE, in the resolution of the conflict between French and Spanish states with Euskal Herria, the Basque Country.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, PASO A PASO
Servicio informativo de ASKAPENA, Nº 195
In a clear pre-elections atmosphere, Ibarretxe (the President of the basque self-governing region) presents his "road map" to "overcome the conflict". Is it real? Does it really try to overcome the conflict? Which is its background? Which is the stance of the different political agents regarding to it?
On September 28, in a plenary session of the the Basque self-governing Parliament (formed by just 3 of the 7 provinces of the Basque Country), started the new political year in the Basque Country. In this session President Ibarretxe, officialy presented his proposal to guarantee the coexistence of the Basque Country and the Spanish state, his own "road map" that sould lead to overcome the conflict.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz, EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service, Nº 194
Even the more insignificant fact projects several underlying messages. If the fact is a relevant one, the content and the messages are more illustrative. We are going to talk about the antifascist reaction that happened on October 12 in Donosti (San Sebastián), and our interpretation of what happened.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's informative service, Nº 193
As we announced in the previous bulletins, the Spanish government was preparing the revenge. They could not tolerate that the Basque left did reject the surrender offer the government made to them, and, besides, that this rejection was made before the international delegations acting as observers. Internally, the try made by the Spanish government to assimilate the Basque left costed PSOE countless reproaches made by the right; externally, was cristal clear that the Spanish government had not at all the wish to solve the conflict. So, the "Basque rebels" must pay the price of this failure. The establishment press prepared the field for this big raid: "Before march, all Batasuna leadership will be in prison". And this was what happened.
In the video, you can see the street battle happened on the October 12 (the 'spanish feeling' day). Some fascist people comming from Sapin tryed to reach Donostia, they could n't get down from the 6 buses.
In the links, another video with antifascist music, and some photos of the day.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's information service, Nº 192
Imperialism applies unleniently violence. If its interest ask so, without hesitation it goes through borders, repress the people or violates rights. In order to reach its aims, it uses as much violence as it consider necessary, and promotes as much invasions as it considers useful for its expansionist aims. At the same time, it uses all the resources it has at its disposal to delegitimize the other violence, the one of the oppressed who face up to it with less resources and more conscience The concept of "fight against terrorism" is a tool made by Imperialism, and Imperialism uses it capriciously against any expression of resistance, expressions that luckily are many and varied.
In this video, imageofde 'gudari eguna' in Arrasate.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY
STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative Service. N. 190
There are very different ways of facing a political conflict: getting implied into it with the firm will of finding a solution for it; that's the attitude of some people looking at the future. This people try to overcome the situation on the grounds of equity in order to solve those unbalanced relationships, which are the origin of the conflict. Another attitude is the opposite one: looking at the past and trying to achieve that all the relationships should remain as they are, even if that situation is totally unfair; the ones following this path are trying to suffocate by all means the population's claims. There is a third way which is a variant of the second one: there are some politicians who seem to assume the conflict, gaining the confidence of the opponents, and once they are at shoot range they treat them with the same brutality as those in the first group.
As for the failed Basque process, it has been the Basque patriotic left wing the sector trying hardly to solve fairly the conflict. The Spanish right wing of PP assumed the second attitude; this party considered themselves to be much stronger than the Basque nationalism and, in fact, they tried to destroy that movement; they assumed that this strategy would prove to be successful.
The PSOE's position was the third option (a variation of the second one): This political party has tried to pretend to be more prone to dialogue and negotiation; they have accepted to start conversations with ETA, the armed organization, as well as with Batasuna, the Basque patriotic left wing. Facts have proved that the strategy was just a spiral movement in order to hand-tie the Basque nationalism making pressure on them by using all the repressive means that PP had activated.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's information service Nº 189
A negotiation process always means that the ones involved in it should take risks. If the process works, each part should explain to their own people the cessions that have made. If the process fails, each part would try to pay the less possible. Obviously, the risk taken by the weaker part are bigger because for them is more difficult to explain their point of view about what happened.
Regarding the failed Basque process, the Spanish government had more chances of minimizing the costs of a breaking-off. In addition of the huge State apparatus resources, they had an ally that had an important value due to their servile attitude: the Basque Nationalist Party, PNV.
In this video the ex-president of the PNV speaks aboat making agreements for the goverment with the spanish unionist-facist PP, and after Arnaldo Otegi (one of the basque left's leaders, in prison nowadays) speaks aboat that.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, Step by Step
ASKAPENA's information service Nº 188
An important part of the Navarra society dreamt about a political change in their territory. This dream was justified because they have been suffering for too many years the despotism of one the most reactionary right wings in Europe. The parties knew about this dream, so they prepared their strategies to afford this reality. The May 27 elections were an opportunity to take advantage from this situation.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA
Step by Step
ASKAPENA's information service
Nº 187
With these lines, Askapena ends the August recess. We warmly greet our readers, we wish to find them with a renewed forces to keep on after the summer, and we encourage them to keep on devoting part of their time to us.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, Step by Step
ASKAPENA's information service Nº 186
The previous phase is over. The Spanish government neither wanted to negotiate nor knew how to do it. They put the process under so much strain, and so many times, that they managed to broke it. Two negotiating sides (PSOE and PNV) left the negotiating table letting the third one down. Unilaterally ETA decided to finish the truce unilaterally declared by them. The government get back in the failed path of repression, and they dream about reaching a new Anti-terrorist Pact. The ones who conspire to block the process see their aim reached. The ones who worked hard to get a solution are already suffering the breaking-off consequences. The ones who dreamt about new times feel disappointed and frustrated. Some essential questions raise in this context: And, now? The opportunity we had is definitively lost? We will go back to the starting point in order to start again?
In the following lines we will try to answer these questions. The path we have walked during these year is not useless. It is not possible to go back to the starting point. Even though the phase ended without reaching an agreement, the process keeps on and will keep on. The solution is still far, but more and more closer. Our aim is not short term, we have not give up hope, and these are the information our conviction is based on.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, Step by Step
ASKAPENA's information service, Nº 185
One of our old sayings says: "Is easier to catch a liar than a thief". And this is exactly what happened in Euskal Herria. The painful illegalization process suffered by the Basque Left had two parts. During the phase before the elections, many fellow countrymen justified the ongoing trap; they repeated restlessly the messages exonerating the fascist: "It was something agreed between the government and Batasuna"..."At the end they will be able to be in the elections without problems"..."They are behaving as if they were victims because this benefit them"..."If they are not allow to be in the elections, they are the only responsible for it"..."They did not do the task [that is, to condemn violence] they have to do if they want to become a member of the exclusive Democrats Club"...
*Here you are some videos about the setting-ups of the cityhalls in Iruñea (Navarre) where most of the people wanted to throw the fascism of PP away, but PSOE prevented it, Elorrio where the basque left won the elections, Lizartza where PP with just 27 votes stole the major to the village and Sestao where 2 people were arrested by the basque-spanish police when they were protesting against the ilegalization.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, PASO A PASO
ASKAPENA's Information Service, Nº 184
Reality has confirm the failure of the talks aiming to solve the Basque-Spanish conflict. There were already many indications and comments about it. The interlocutors themselves discreetly suggested that positions were becoming incompatible and that the so-called process was in a permanent deadlock.
Once it became official, each side tries to make clear their position regarding the new situation. These clarifications allow clearly knowing the true cause of the failure, which is something complex and, at the same time, straightforward: the incompatibility of the two projects on the table, openly contradictory.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY, STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's informative Service, N. 183
ETA announced on the 5th of June that at 12 am on the 6th of June the indefinite cease-fire came to an end. We will not mention the official notice since its content has had an ample echo in the international press. The armed Basque organization justified its decision on the grounds that the conditions to take ahead a peace process did not happen. ETA blamed the Spanish Government not to have fulfilled the previously agreed commitments, in the same way ETA accused the Basque PNV of behaving like a mere PSOE's servant.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's Information Service, Nº 182
On March 22, 2006, the armed Basque organization ETA announced an indefinite cease-fire that would start on March 24. Fourteen months later, on June 5, 2007, ETA announced the end of the cease-fire and the reopening of the armed struggle at all the fronts, starting at midnight of June 5. In later bulletins we will inform about the content of the official notice, and the reactions which is provoking. Today, our aim is to inform about what happened in the wings during the months when the miscarried normalization process was open.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA'S informative Service N. 181
The Basque patriotic left wing has carried out a new popular victory. The recent local elections were extremely meaningful, since the patriotic Basque left wing had faced the unjust exigencies of an authoritarian State. As a result of this strategy, the being or not being of this political sector had been put into question by many. There were a lot of questions to be made: How has affected to this nucleus of coherent people the apartheid which they have been put under for four years? Will they maintain their social backing despite all the messages of the enemy announcing their decomposition and dissolution? Will they continue having their seduction capacity although the Spanish PSOE and the Basque PNV have kicked the peace process aside; a process for which the Basque patriotic left wing had made a serious bet? Will they still believe in the electoral participation once they have seen how the fascism has annulled 380 popular candidacies?
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service, n. 180
We are writing these lines before knowing the elections results, during a week marked by this imminent competition. Once the outrage carried out, this last week has been the one of the ideological bombing against the citizens who are sympathetic with the Basque left: as long as their lists of candidates have been declared illegal, the must support the vote "useful"...This is a difficult choice: to vote for a list that has been declared illegal, or to support some parties that offer usefulness to this vote. In other words, to support the ones that have surrendered and to turn their backs to the ones who have been coherent.
The Spanish judicial apparatus has completed its cycle, not in favour of justice but against the Basque patriotic left wing. Without going into deep legal details, in the end the Supreme Court gave the reason to the State and supported the processes that the Office of the public prosecutor asked for to make the Basque patriotic left wing illegal. The legal reasons that it alleged were shameful.
There was left the last option: the Spanish High Court. The lawyers of the persecuted candidacies presented their allegations to the Spanish judicial highest instance, although the social base of the Basque patriotic left wing knew beforehand the verdict: the judicial process has been and is a farce to justify a rabidly undemocratic apartheid. The previsions of those who have lost all their confidence in the Spanish justice, were fulfilled. The Constitutional Court backed the Spanish High Court had previously passed, the Spanish Government had already decided.
The scandalous process in which 380 candidacies have been made illegal under the pretext of being contaminated by people of the Basque patriotic left wing, has been an event of extreme gravity. This process has been known at an international level and it has caused very varied reactions. In today's report we want to gather some of the most significant reactions that this scandalous upsetting has provo
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's information N. 177
The PSOE has lost the north. On its fantasmal "negotiations process" it has not been able to force Basque patriotic left wing so that it should resign to its exigencies for independence. That challenging attitude by a redoubt of Vascones (ancient Basque citizens) is intolerable. The State must extinguish and politically eliminate them. As we are within a supposedly democratic State, and it is not feasible a physical genocide, there is no more remedy left than to apply political genocide: depriving the Basque patriotic left wing of its civil and political fundamental rights.
While the conversations continued, supposedly to make some sort of negotiation; the PSOE has kept activated the Law of Political Parties as a dissuasive threat in order to condition the conversations. The municipal and provincial elections were the key point: or the Basque patriotic left wing surrendered or the Law in its entire rigor would be applied against the pro independence left wing party to prevent the exercise of its citizen rights.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY
STEP BY STEP- ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 176
The Spanish Socialist People's Party sells an image of progressive and modern party, tolerant and open-minded, but reality has very little to do with appearance. As for the conflict between the Basque Country, this is, Euskal Herria and Spain, the PSOE has tried different strategies to overcome this conflict, but the Spanish Socialist People's Party has not been able to solve it.
One of these strategies has been "the so called negotiation"
When the PSOE mentions a negotiated solution the Basque Patriotic Left Wing has a very good reason to tremble. The concept of negotiation used by the Spanish socialists is very peculiar: the Basque patriotic left wingers have to choices, either to accept their thesis or else to be totally defeated. The experience of Argel in the eighties was very illustrative. As the agreements were not reached, the Spanish government representatives were promoted at a world level and the Basque Patriotic Left Wing suffered "the antiterrorist agreements"
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY, STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 175
Long time ago, especially the right wing pro-centralism strategy used ETA's victims as one of its most effective weapons to condition the country's political affairs. The Spanish PSOE did also favour this kind of perverse policy, which after some years has back fired. The PP manipulates the so human feeling of losing the dearest ones between its members, in order to get electoral profits; following this strategy it has created ETA's victims' organizations, which are just the government's mere political puppets. The result of this strategy is the fact that most of the population has a contrary opinion of ETA's armed struggle; besides this, they have spread the opinion that anyone who does not pay tribute to ETA's victims is an accomplice of terrorism.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY, STEP BY STEP,
ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 174
The step given by the socialist patriotic party at the end of March made possible to see the intentions of all the social agents. The registration of the new political party called ASB (Patriotic Basque Socialists) is a clear evidence of the attempt by the promoters in order to get a solution for the political conflict within Euskal Herria. The Basque Patriotic leftwing accepted the absurd demands of an unfair law to reach some sort of agreement: it wants a political and active subject in the institutional work that is to be made in the process for the resolution of the conflict.
PSOE's and its partner, the Basque right wing, PNV's intentions are now very clear. This coalition, which could also be considered an "evil alliance", wants no resolution but a total surrender by the Basque patriotic leftwing. From an arrogant point of view they declared that the effort made by the Basque patriotic leftwing is not enough and that this party has to make a bigger effort; in just one word surrendering or death. By following this intransigent strategy, the spanish government activated a judicial resolution in order to close the way to ASB (Union of Basque Socialists), just a few hours after this organization asked for its registration in the lists of the election campaign.
Here you have 2 videos, the first a 5 minutes resume with music. The second one (most of it in spanish) shows Arnaldo Otegi (leader of the basque left) speaking aboat Iosu Ion Imaz (leader of PNV (National Business Party) the 'basque' right)
Towards Independence and Socialism,
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY, STEP BY STEP,
ASKAPENA's Informative Service, N. 173
Since the very beginning, the attempt to solve the Basque conflict in a dialogued way has been affected by the Law About Political Parties, which is a dictatorial legal measure agreed by consensus by PSOE as well as PP, in the government at that moment. Due to its incapacity to finish with ETA, these parties increased the repression against the Basque left political organizations. Spain repeated in the Basque Country the long Franquism night: those who were not close to the regime were deprived of their basic political rights. Only after specifically declaring their non violent methods in the confrontation among parties, the Basque left will be allow to join the political scenario.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 172
Euskara, this is Basque is the oldest living language in Europe; it is older than French, Spanish, Latin and previous to any Indo-European language within Europe. Even if so passing from mother to son or daughter up to the 21st century has not been an easy 4adventure. For centuries this ancient language has been prosecuted, forbidden to be used in public, and even the children who spoke it in the schools were beaten and humiliated. It was cut from official documents and publications, being considered by some intellectuals like some kind of "dog's barking"...
Euskal Herria (the nation were Basque spoken) was more vast than the territories occupied by the actual seven regions, but as a result of a centuries lasting linguistic and cultural repression, The Basque Country has lost a lot of its original area.
In the sixties of the former century, at a time when repression was at its most in the hands of Franco's regime at this side of the Pyrenees and with the French Jacobinism at the other side, there was the birth of a movement in favour of the Basque culture and language.
Towards Independence and Socialism EUSKAL HERRIA BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 171
In order to understand what is going on in Euskal Herria you have to look carefully at Navarre (the South Eastern Basque Country). It is one of the keys of the conflict and it will be one of the keys for the resolution of the conflict. Navarre became a kingdom from the 10th century up to the 16th century. It was the political institution the Basque people chose for themselves. A kingdom which lay at both sides of the Pyrenees; it was never a huge kingdom with very changeable borders. It was a kingdom previous to France and Spain, with its own diplomatic representation in Europe up to the 16th century. Even if it was conquered by the Spanish army in 1512, it continued fighting until 1521, when it was completely destroyed the patriotic but fragile Navarre army which still resisted.
Since that moment, both France and Spain have tried very hard to delete any trace of identity of the little kingdom that they had conquered. As for spain, on the 19th century there happened two wars which in reality were much of an insurrection: rebelliousness against the centralizing regimes from Madrid. There was almost a third world, but the government of Madrid, as it had serious problems due to the insurrection in Cuba, decided to change its tax policies. The people from Navarre in order to commemorate that victory decided to build a monument to their own Laws and Jurisdiction, an expression of Navarre's people opposite to any sorts of state's centralism.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, PASO A PASO,
Servicio informativo de ASKAPENA Nº 170
In Spain the political atmosphere is getting hotter and hotter. And, in the middle of this confrontation the main subject is the Basque problem, "the spanish democracy's" Achilles' heel.
Towards independence and socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP,
ASKAPENA Information Service N. 169
In Spain there is no right wing party, or at least there is no evidence of it. The only organised expression is the PP political party, a feature of which is its closeness to the radical ultra right. As the elections are getting closer, and taking advantage of the lack of perspective by PSOE, the PP is intensifying its campaign against the PSOE. A campaign which is closer and closer to fascism.
Towards independence and socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP,
ASKAPENA Information Service N. 168
On the 6th February the Basque Patriotic Left Wing announced the presentation of a new strategic political proposal. This moment has been chosen because there exists a real chance for dialogue. On the next day, February 7th, in an atmosphere of expectation by the media the commission of the Basque Patriotic Left Wing in charged of the negotiation explained its point of view of the nowadays context, of the way to make its proposal known and in the end it was made an appeal.
As for the political situation, they pointed out the reasons why the peace process has been and is still blocked: the existence of a strategy of judicial and police harassment against the Basque Patriotic Left Wing; in the same way there has been an obvious lack of maturity and political responsibility by all the agents taking part in the peace process.
Relating the method, the obstacles are to be overcome by means of a political multi-party and settling dialogue.
The proposal's aim consists merely in establishing the bases considered as essential by the Basque Patriotic Left Wing in order to solve the political conflict with Spain; these basic vindications are: territorial unification and the right to choose.
As for the appeal it is directed to the rest of political factions within Euskal Herria, asking them to organise as urgently as possible a dynamic for political dialogue without exclusion, which lying on a solid ground, could guarantee the beginning of the peace process with democratic solutions for Euskal Herria.
Towards independence and socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP,
ASKAPENA Information Service N. 167
Everything started almost 30 years ago. The Spanish and French states, but specially the Spanish one, interpreted that the Basque youth was a source of conscience and organization that they should finish with. This repressive and old history is these weeks living its darkest and the most painful chapters. But it is not at all the end of the youth independentist movement.
Towards independence and socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA, STEP BY STEP,
ASKAPENA Information Service N. 166
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February the 3rd was an intense citizenry mobilization day. The different strategies taking form confronted one to each other on the streets trying to get adepts and win social recognition. The higher prominence was for the Spanish fascist right wing. But other new social agents for dialogue have been born in the Basque Country and they deserve special mention.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 165
The Spanish government continues making clear which its new policy is after the attack by ETA against Barajas: the peace process is broken due to ETA; nowadays the government has a new strategy, this is, a pact between so many political parties as possible, in order to fight terrorism.
As for this very first declaration, the news leaking out say otherwise, since they do not correspond with the Spanish government's version. On the 25th of January it was known that in all the meetings that ETA held with the government from Spain, the armed group once and again complained that the agreements which made possible the cease of fire, were not being carried out. In each meeting ETA presented detailed reports with all the aggressions that the patriotic Basque left wing was suffering: illegalization processes, arrests, imprisonments... It is nowadays known that the Spanish government had compromised itself to legalize Batasuna even if the Law about political parties was to be kept. Yet, its action was in the other way. It is also known today that the Spanish government ordered the rest of the political parties to postpone the conformation of the negotiation table, so that the peace process should have no political meaning. There is another and relevant information: the international organizations which took part in the process as witness have assured that the Spanish government once and again refused to fulfil its compromises. They continuously asked the Spanish government to carry out what it had promised, in order to save the negotiation process. We do consider especially important this testimony since it does not belong to any of the parts in confrontation.
As for the second message, there is a call for all the democrats to be united against the violent ones and to fight them mercilessly; but not even this way is easy for PSOE.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA, BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 164
For the last two weeks at a political level there is convulsion because of the non-stop attacks by Spain. The attack against Barajas has still an influence on nowadays situation; there continues to be anyhow continues attempts to retake the dialogue process, even if it seemed to have failed. In this context two serious judicial attacks are to be placed. They both have happened almost at the same time. One of them is the six year prison sentence by the Spanish High Court against 23 Basque young people; the only crime they have committed is to belong to a youth organization, which is in favour of the freedoms for the Basque Country. The second one is related to the decision again by the Spanish High Court of keeping Iñaki de Juana in the same condition as he was; this is, close to death. These both circumstances deserve an analysis.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz,
EUSKAL HERRIA PAS À PAS
ASKAPENA Information Nº 163
Trois semaines se sont écoulées depuis l'attentat de Barajas. Le nuage de poussière se dissipe, et le temps apporte une certaine perspective aux événements. Ce qui était caché se fait jour: la stratégie appliquée par le PSOE avant le 30 décembre, date de l'attentat, et celle qu'il a tenté de mettre en oeuvre après cette date.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service, N. 161
The Spanish government had been carefully preparing a process to eradicate ETA: secret meetings, bilateral agreements, the non-fulfilment of the points previously agreed, non-stop repression of the negotiators in order to subdue them, trying to make the citizens believe that process is on the right path. The aim of this strategy was clearly to make impossible any answer from ETA and even to get that the solution of the process should be for the pro-independence faction at a high political cost. In the same way, the Spanish government had already designed a campaign of social agitation which should be activated as soon as ETA would announce its intention of continuing with armed activity.
Towards Independence and SocialismEUSKAL HERRIABASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative ServiceN. 161
For the last three months there have been crossed declarations between the Spanish government and Batasuna, being both completely different. From August the Basque left separatist party has been continuously declaring that the process was in crisis. On that very same month ETA itself had made clear that the agreements that had made possible the cease of fire were not being respected, and as a result of this situation the agreements were not being fulfilled. In the same way ETA declared that it would answer any aggression made by the Spanish state. This speech did not coincide with the messages of the Spanish government and its partners, the Basque right wing. These last ones repeated once and again that the process was on the right path. It is not possible to consolidate a peace process when one of its parts respects the cease of fire, while the other one is doing just the opposite, by pursuing its interlocutors. At the beginning of December, it was obvious that something very serious had happened: even the Basque right wing did accept that there was a crisis going on. The pro independence Basque left wing was more explicit: in a tone of great preoccupation, warned once and again that the process was failing, or had already failed.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's informative service Nº 158
Nobody denies that talks to solve the Basque conflict are undergoing a serious deadlock by this time. One reason for it is the government obstinacy about not yielding an inch saying that "a price will not be paid for peace". In this informative service we reproduce an interesting article written by Tasio Erkizia, well-known Basque left independentist activist, and published in the newspaper Gara on December 3, 2006. The article looks in depth at this very dangerous concept that like a malignant cancer may finish with the incipient process.
Towards independence and socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP
ASKAPENA's informative service Nº 157
As we already mentioned in previous bulletins he attempt of starting a peace process has surprisesely provoked a huge convulsion in Euskal Herria. It could not be in another way, since there are very opposed interests. The only objective of both the Spanish government and its Basque very loyal allied, the right wing political party PNV, consists in eradicating ETA. They have no intention of going to the roots of the conflict in order to reach an everlasting solution. The Basque left wing pro independence party on the other hand, does not accept any false solutions to the conflict, since if the conflict is not properly solved it will last for at least another forty years or even longer.
Towards Independence and Socialism
Euskal Herria Basque Country Step by Step
ASKAPENA Information Service N. 156
The Basque political prisoner Iñaki de Juana, after completely serving his sentence (almost 20 years imprisoned), should be out of jail from the year 2003. But in the Spanish State, the times of sentences are elastic and malleable. As the former Justice Secretary said on 2005, it was necessary to find any way for keeping Inaki in jail although he had already served his sentence. With this stupid pretension a 96 years sentence was requested based on two opinion articles. The prisoner started a hunger strike that lasted 2 months. He was fed against his will under an order of the Spanish National Court.
Towards independence and socialism, EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's informative service Nº 155
What is going on about the process? Is it already working? Is it accurately defined? There were some agreed points, which made possible the permanent cease of fire between ETA and both estates: France and Spain are they being fulfilled? There are many worrying questions about the whole matter and both sides are giving very different answers.
The government from Madrid and its allies within the PNV have chosen the easy way: they deny the fact that there is a crisis in the process, and they assure that everything is going in the right way; according to their version, the worrying warnings by the pro-independence Basque left wing have no reason. To make things clear the pro-independence Basque left wing's aim is to make its own message known. In this very message you have got the key to be able to understand this immobility situation that is happening at this very moment:
Towards Independence and SocialismEUSKAL HERRIABASQUE COUNTRYSTEP BY STEPASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 154
On the 25th of October 2006 the European Parliament debated and passed a resolution in favour of the peace process that is to begin in Euskal Herria, a peace process that would the beginning of the end of the conflict between the Basque Country and both France and Spain. On this report we are trying to explain what took place on that day.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA-BASQUE COUNTRY
STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 153
As we commented in Paso 152, the 9th of October six relevant personalities at an international level presented in the eyes of the public their declaration of support for the Peace Process in Euskal Herria. It is a sort of very precise and interesting document. It does describe with accuracy the singularities of the conflict; it proposes ways for the resolution of the conflict and the signing partners show their explicit backing of the process that is being started.
For all these reasons we have decided to show in here the transcription of this document:
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 152
The analyses of some other processes on their way to be resolved have something in common; and this is the actual need of international support so that the process can go on. Euskal Herria obviously is not an exception.
Towards Independence and Socialism
EUSKAL HERRIA BASQUE COUNTRY STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA's Informative Service N. 151
The ways of production that have been imposed nowadays in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country) are ferociously capitalist. In the same way, the kind of society which is being favoured - a society with a high level of consumerism - coincides with that way of production. The bourgeoisie controlling local governments are the ones administering the resources of the country according to their own class interests. Energy production, the waste management, transport infrastructures? follow this capitalist model. As a result, natural resources are sacrificed and both, natural resources and environment become second class elements. Mega projects are mobilising huge amounts of capital, some money managed by firms which are close to political power. This is another way of speculation by which they increase their huge benefits.
Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA STEP by STEP
ASKAPENA's Informative Service No 150
After 63 days, Iñaki de Juana has stopped his hunger strike started on August 7 to demand his release and to denounce the life imprisonment sentenced by the Spanish National Court on the Basque prisoners. De Juana «feels well» y «his condition is improving» in the Hospital.
«Iñaki de Juana's life is not in danger now, and this is a good new, but he is still in prison. We demand to stop the proceedings and his immediate release. Democratic ethics also demands the prisoners who are sick and the ones who already have finish serving their sentences to be immediately released ». (JUAN MARI OLANO | Askatasuna' spokesperson)
Towards Independence and Socialism Basque Country STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA Information Service N. 147
By the time you get this document, Iñaki de Juana, Basque political prisoner kidnapped by Spain, has already been longer than 59 days on hunger strike. Obviously his situation is extremely grave and the tension that this very situation originates is increasing. On this document our intention is to transcribe the letter he wrote on the 11th September. In this letter he explains the reasons that forced him to take this severe measure.
Towards Independence and Socialism
Basque Country STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA Information Service N. 148
On September ends the popular annual festival. The fiesta in the villages and towns has also an important cultural, social and political content. Institutions use to appear holding preferential spaces in the fiesta program. They strengthen each other by jointly presiding over civil acts as well as the religious ones. By their presence at the acts the citizens implicitly admit the hierarchies. Of course, the hierarchies use the social adherence provided by the fiesta to reinforce themselves as establish powers.
An interesting phenomenon is kept in the Basque Country. Aware of the political and cultural importance of the fiesta, the Left adds a demanding dimension to the fiesta. And this year was no exceptional
Towards Independence and Socialism Basque Country STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA Information Service N. 147
Specially during this last month, Batasuna's spokespersons have been warning that the so-called process is experiencing a crisis. The Step n. 146 informed about some facts and statements that confirm it. On August Batasuna warned that the PSOE is changing its discourse: its public statements about crucial issues (Navarra, the prisoners, [Batasunas's] legalization, the aims of the process...) do not square with its statements in private meetings.
The same day the Basque liberation organization ETA makes an statement where publicly considers the ongoing negotiation process with the State.
Towards Independence and Socialism
Basque Country STEP BY STEP ASKAPENA Information Service N. 146
During a press conference held on August 9, Batasuna alerted to the serious situation the Spanish government is generating: "[The Spanish government] keeps on persecuting the Basque left's political activity... It is extremely difficult to Bastasuna to go on with its work in the development of the solving process while the State machinery [PSOE is responsible for it] goes on with its politics of constant aggression".
Someone could believe that this denunciation made by Batasuna is the fruit of a party that without objective grounds pretends to be a victim. In order to avoid misunderstandings we present an account of the fascist harassment the Basque left is constantly suffering:
