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- Weekend of international solidarity

- Massive support for the Basque language

- Basque Pro-Independence Left leader Otegi speaks from jail

- Tribute paid to released prisoners and deceased escapee

Weekend of international solidarity

Last Saturday more than 8,000 people took part in a day long event organized by a local campaign group in favour of self-determination in the Goierri valley. There were Basque and Scottish traditional sports, music, food and clown shows for children.

The campaign has been running for the past two years and included a trip to Scotland by local traditional sports people, musicians and dancers. Since then they have developed a close relationship with the Scots and last weekend they had the opportunity to return the visit.

Before last Saturday’s big day dozens of well-known Basque politicians, writers, artists and sports people signed a manifesto in favour of self-determination and called on the public to join forces and attend the event.

Basques and Scots came together in a wonderful day in favour of self-determination and aim to deepen relations towards a future of freedom.

Also last Saturday Askapena celebrated a new edition of the Internationalist Day. This time came at a critical moment after the police operation against the organization just a few weeks ago. Seven members of this Basque pro-independence and internationalist organization were arrested and imprisoned.

The day was full of activities and concluded with a political rally were the arrested were remembered and Askapena reaffirmed its commitment with their work of solidarity with other peoples in struggle and against imperialism.

Over the weekend the youth organization Segi met in the north of the Basque Country (under French administration) with other revolutionary youth organizations from different parts of France to exchange experiences and join forces in the midst of social turmoil in that state.

Massive support for the Basque language

Last Sunday around 100,000 people took part in the annual day-long events organised by the local Basque language medium schools in the province of Navarre.

The festival is a mixture of political demand for support from the local government, fundraising and celebration of Basque language and culture.

This is the largest event of any kind organised in the province during the year and shows the support the language has among the population despite the attacks the Basque language education system and Basque speakers’ rights suffer at the hands of the province’s right wing pro-Spanish government.

Basque Pro-Independence Left leader Otegi speaks from jail (read the interview at the end)

One year after being imprisoned Basque Pro-Independence Left leader Arnaldo Otegi was interviewed by British journalist John Carlin and the interview was published by El Pais, a newspaper aligned with the Spanish government.

Despite the focus by the interviewer on the topic of political violence Otegi was able to put across several points to explain and support the new strategy agreed by the Pro-Independence Left.

Otegi says that the Pro-Independence Left is attempting to create the conditions needed to promote a democratic process through the society’s mobilisation, international assistance and unilateral steps.

Otegi also says that political violence is not compatible with the new strategy and affirms he is in favour of the disappearance of all forms of violence including torture, bannings of political parties, threats, closing down of media...etc. and demands the Spanish authorites play their part.

He sees the strategy of advancing the process through the signing of previous agreements or trust in a particular government as completely necessary, although he considers steps like these will have to come at particular phases of the process.

There have been much positive reaction to the interview from politicians of all backgrounds including Spanish primer minister Zapatero, although he still thinks it’s insufficient.

Meanwhile, and despite Otegi’s declarations and the new strategy, the Spanish Labour Party in government and the right wing opposition presented new legal initiatives to harden the Parties’ Law which bans Basque Pro-Independence Left and prevents it from standing in elections.

Tribute paid to released prisoners and deceased escapee

Two well known Basque political prisoners were welcomed in their home towns after being recently released. Jon Bilbao spent 28 years in jail becoming one of the longest serving political prisoners. Joxe Mari Sagardui has already entered his 30^th year in jail.

75 year-old veteran Pro-Independence Left leader Jose Luis Elkoro was also finally released last week due to his physical condition and thanks to a tireless campaign. He had been sentenced to 8 years in jail for his political work. In the 70’s he led the Basque mayors campaign against Franco and was one of the founders of Herri Batasuna.

Last Saturday hundreds of people attended a very emotional tribute dedicated to Joxe Mari Zaldua, Basque political escapee, who passed away recently after suffering a heart attack. He escaped repression in 1986 and since then he lived in South America and France where he died. Years ago he was arrested and imprisoned in France and after his release once again he had to go underground until his death came suddenly a few weeks ago.

Interesting and extensive interview with Arnaldo Otegi (Leader of the Left Abertzale in prison) by John Carlin for El Pais

"My position and that of the whole Abertzale left is the logical consequence of understanding that the existence and persistence of political violence in our country is based on reasons of strict political nature."

"What has characterized our position has been the insistence on the need to definitively overcome violence and political conflict through dialogue and negotiation. Our commitment was and is sincere, weapons; all weapons must disappear from the Basque political equation. "

"Any threats and persecution for political reasons, any violation of rights has to disappear."

"What is known as the Basque conflict was there long before the birth of ETA. The

disappearance of ETA’s violence does not mean the disappearance of the conflict between the Basque country and the state. The definitive termination of the armed struggle launched by ETA 51 years ago would terminate the armed aspect of the conflict, but won’t resolve it. We propose a simple arithmetic democratic formula for the ultimate resolution of the political conflict: to recognize the national identity of the Basque people and respect the right of Basque citizens to decide freely, peacefully and democratically their future limited only by the popular will. "

"We all have reason to be suspicious of our adversaries, to distrust his actual or future intentions. But we need to move forward. Faced with this reality of multi-directional distrust we have adopted a departure position that allows us to advance: to take and develop decisions unilaterally, depositing in our people and the international community our confidence and the only guarantee of the evolution of the democratic process. "

"The field of negotiation and political agreement belongs exclusively to the political parties. ETA should reach agreements on the sphere of the conflict’s consequences, prisoners,victims, demilitarization ..."

"I think that the guarantee to overcome the serious errors committed, by all parts, in previous processes could be in our commitment to the Mitchell principles and in an adequate monitoring of the whole process by international actors that have the confidence of all parts .

"For us, the objectives in this first phase, in parallel with the progressive articulation of a proindependence space, are contained in the Statement of Gernika, which would be to reach a scene of non violence with guarantees and a progressive political normalization that would allow the process to enter a phase of dialogue and negotiation towards political agreements."

"Our position towards a peaceful and democratic solution of the conflict is irreversible and does not contemplate any horizon or hypothetical circumstances that would change this position."

Article about interview:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/1018/1224281341495.html

Full interview in Spanish:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Texto/integro/cuestionario/respuestas/Otegi/PAIS/elpe

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