The Road to Peace is a Difficult One



Obviously, not all of the Basque separatists are happy with ETA's cease fire declaration. Two incidents occurred over the weekend in the Basque Country. A hardware store in a town next to Pamplona that was owned by a member of the town council and member of a regional party called Unión del Pueblo Navarro (UPN). The UPN opposes independence.



This fire caused more than damage to a store. It is in in the ground floor of the tall building. Fifty-six households were displaced, four persons, including a ten month old baby, were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and three cars there were parked next to it on the street were a total loss. The ground floor of the twelve-somthing story building is a total loss and the four flats on the first floor are uninhabitable.


In another town, Getxo, near the city of Bilbao, four masked individuals threw several molotov cocktails at an insurance agency. While the damage was minimal as they were unable to set the building on fire, it is believed this attack was done in retaliation for for the arrest of Ibon Meñika on April 18 in Vizcaya. She was transporting 90 "bonds" with ETA's initials on them, each valued at 60 Euros a piece. It is believed that they were supposed to have been distributed to ETA sympathizers in appreciation for their financial support of the terrorist organization.

Joseba Permach, the spokesman for Batasuna, the political arm of the ETA, has denounced the attacks. They consider them serious and an attempt to derail the peace process and what they hope to be the eventual independence. Batasuna has pointed out the behaviour of the executive government has been negative and that the mere association with ETA should not bring about reprecussions. It is important to note the Ms. Meñika was not transporting bombs or any other weapons. What she was arrested for was the association with ETA. If the government is serious about this cease fire, they should not have held her in custody. Arrest, yes, confiscate, yes, but then let her go. If Spanish government is serious about the peace process, then they also have to give a little for there is too much at stake. Ask the people living at #11 Calle de San Esteban in Barañaín, Navarra, Spain.