ETA's 2006 Ceasefire Declaration - Negotiations and Incidents During The "ceasefire"

Negotiations and Incidents During The "ceasefire"

On 23 September 2006 masked and armed ETA members took part in a political act in Aritxulegi (Guipuscoa) and declared that the organization will "keep taking up arms" until achieving "independence and socialism in the Basque country". The militant claimed that "the fight is not a thing of the past. It is the present and the future". The statement was regarded by some as intended to put pressure on the talks with the Spanish government, which were announced on 17 September, and by some other analysts as a declaration of ETA's ultimate intentions, making clear that the organization will not disarm until every single one of their goals have been completely achieved. Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero stressed in the Spanish Parliament that the Spanish Government would still keep its offer for talks despite the militant's statement.

In June, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced that his government would begin negotiations with the ETA.

On 24 October 2006 a suspected ETA cell stole some 300 handguns, ammunition and spare parts in France.

On 4 November 2006 Gara newspaper published excerpts of ETA's bulletin Zutabe no.111, in which the organization pondered that "if the Spanish government doesn't fulfill its compromises and there are no visible steps, the peace process will be broken". ETA also announced that they would "make a renewed effort towards the negotiations with the Spanish government". ETA "laments that in the time elapsed since the March declaration of ceasefire (…) precious time has been wasted". They demanded from Spanish president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero "to give a positive answer" to two central issues: (1) "to the specific demand of the fulfilment of the commitments he adopted on leaving aside repression and ceasing attacks" and (2) "he will have to commit clearly to respect the will for an process in Euskal Herria, that is: the will of Basque citizens".

On 14 November, the Socialist Party admitted that the peace process was fraught with problems. Batasuna’s staunch refusal to condemn terrorism did not help. Also, the hunger strike of ETA activist Iñaki de Juana Chaos led to street hooliganism by some in Batasuna's youth branch. On 14 December, Batasuna’s Pernando Barrena said that the peace process was “going nowhere.” He accused the Socialist Party of making excessive demands to Batasuna.