1:16:02
Bringing the prisoners home.
1:16:04
It would have been
a small gesture,
1:16:08
by which the left wing "abertzale"
would have felt
1:16:11
that the truce was of some use.
1:16:15
But that would have meant
that there was a strong growth,
1:16:19
a strong political growth,
of nationalism,
1:16:22
and the government in Madrid
was not willing to tolerate that.
1:16:26
The Popular Party
only had one meeting with ETA.
1:16:30
A matter like ETA can't be
resolved in one conversation.
1:16:33
Two of the representatives
at that meeting were arrested.
1:16:38
ETA felt that, in some way,
it had been tricked.
1:16:44
And it's not that I want
to stand up for ETA, God forbid.
1:16:48
I think it was a big mistake
to take up arms again.
1:16:54
Atime will come when
the arms will be silent again
1:16:57
and words will
play the main role.
1:17:00
What we couldn't accept
1:17:03
was that the organization, ETA,
to which we were showing solidarity
1:17:08
as regards the way to resolve
the conflict through negotiation,
1:17:13
was not showing respect
for its own militant members.
1:17:18
When ETA broke the truce
it was terrible for all of us,
1:17:22
but it was really terrible
for Herri Batasuna.
1:17:26
They lost 80,000 votes
in the next elections.
1:17:42
ENOUGH
1:17:55
Professor of
Contemporary History