Basque Info 16/03/11

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• International figures ask for the legalisation of Pro-Independence Left
• Movement for civil rights in the Basque Country launched
• Pro-Independence Left demands a scenario of democratic minimums

International figures ask for the legalisation of the Pro-Independence Left 

Individuals of international note from various arenas have signed a manifesto in which they ask for the legalisation of the Basque Pro-Independence Left. 

The demand for the legalisation of the Abertzale Left gains more voices and of greater diversity all the time. Thousands of citizens of the Basque Country have taken part in different mobilisations to call for that legalisation. Many intellectuals and professionals from different sectors, as much in the Spanish state as of many other nationalities, have also given that same call. 

The document signed by this large group of people calls for the right of participation in politics and rejects the Political Parties Law. They welcome the initiative of the Pro-Independence Left in its gamble to overcome the political conflict exclusively through political and democratic means. They demand that the Spanish public authorities end their political discrimination to which they have subjected the Abertzale Left and its legalisation. 

The list of signatorees is large; to mention a few: intellectuals of the Left such as James Petras (USA) or the German Heinz Dieterich living in Mexico, the German writer Raúl Zelik, the Belgian journalist and writer Michel Collon or the academic Carlos Tambo. Also appearing in the list are Spanish well know people like journalist Antonio Alvarez Solis, philosopher Javier Sadaba and the actor Guillermo Toledo. These are the signatorees so far but news of new supporters continues to arrive. 

Others like PSOE (Labour Party) politician and drafter of the Spanish Constitution Herrero de Minon - and no friend of the Pro-Independence - said that the illegalisation of the Pro-Independence Left is wrong and that he doesn't agree with the Political Parties Law.

Movement for civil rights in the Basque Country launched 

Faced with the violation of basic civil rights which exists in the Basque Country a number of people concerned about this situation and especially the political scenario which has been opened have decided to create the Basque Civil Rights Movement. 

Its objective is to achieve a democratic framework. With this objective its two main tools will be: to turn ideas into action and to give rise to social and popular mobilisation. They believe that the concept that “we live in under a state of emergency” is gaining force in Basque society. They believe that there is an increase in sensitivity in this regard and that wide consensus can be gained in widely different sectors. 

Last Saturday this movement organised demonstrations outside courts in the four capital cities of the southern Basque Country. At them they declared that in this moment an effort must be made to demand the civil rights structures that will determine the future of the country : the end of arrests and torture, the legalization of Sortu, the end of prison politics....all of which have to be legislated for in the courts. Paradoxically courts are there to safeguard rights, but in practise they are doing the exact opposite : ordering arrests, ignoring torture, maintaining prison politics and hindering the legalisation of Sortu. 

Looking into the future, the Basque Civil Rights Movement is aware its work will take a long time. That’s why they wish to build little by little and not in a centralized way, integrating different arenas. It’s clear that progress is generated by ideas and ideas are generated by people.

Pro-Independence Left demands a scenario of democratic minimums 

Over the weekend, in a press conference, representatives of the Basque Pro-Independence Left assessed the steps they’ve taken in the last few months towards a democratic scenario. 

“ In our opinion, these steps, together with the commitments undertaken by different political, trade unionist and social agents in the Basque Country have allowed the creation of a new scenario. 

In the Basque Country, this new scenario has generated hope in Basque society, has brought struggles together and has activated different dynamics that will allow advances towards a truly democratic scenario. 

We consider the conditions for a change in the cycle are being met and for this to succeed a situation of democratic minimals needs to be created. To obtain them it is necessary to continue gathering strength, to create alliances and to mobilize. 

We believe the objective of the State’s strategies is to disallow the conditions for this change of cycle. It is the State’s interest to maintain the situation of blockade so it’s up to us who want to cross over to a a scenario of full democracy, peace and justice to break with those dynamics. 

It’s because of this we want to send two messages : 

• To the Spanish State : The Spanish State must abandon its political trench, leaving aside short-term political interests, measuring up to the situation created in The Basque Country. 
• To Basque society and the whole of the political and social organizations and the trade unions : The Abertzale Left wants to call on all to cooperate, work and compromise.

A political change is in our hands, to create a new future is in our hands. 

The Abertzale Left is convinced the Basque Country is going to win the battle to be the master of its own destiny and the stuggle for democracy. “Because of our conviction in this we will invest the whole of our political capital, accumulated in decades of work and struggle” they said.

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