 |
| "Freedom is not negotiable" |
Txabi Etxebarrieta (Bilbo 1944-1968) was the first militant of ETA that was kill by spanish ocupation forces and the first militant of ETA killing: He killed a "guardia civil" (spanish militar police) in a shooting.
He had asthma and that illness conditionated his life. He studied economics in university. He was one of the leaders of ETA and he wrote a lot of text that will help to define which are some main ideas about basque national liberation movement.
In 1968 south basque country was oppressed by a fascist dictatorship. ETA, founded in 1958 (oficially in 1959) started a new way of struggle. In 1937 the last forces of basque country (composed by pro-independence, basque nationalist, anarchists and communist and leaded by Basque Nationalist Party) loose in the spanish civil war. In the next years some guerrillas tried to defeat the dictatorship. Basque Nationalist Party in 1940's started to support a peaceful strategy. In the next years this strategy will prove that was a mistake.
ETA, supports a new kind of nationalism (leftist, activist etc.) and started using armed struggle. Spanish state react with more violence (torturing, banning, killing etc.) In 1968, Txabi Etxebarrieta and another militant of ETA were intercepted by Guardia Civil. The car that they were driving was stolen. Txabi Etxebarrieta shot against one of the militar police (killing him) and then they escaped. After that, in the same day in other shooting, spanish militar police killed Txabi Etxebarrieta after beating him.
This was the beginning of the spiral: Action-Reaction-Action. Next month ETA killed "Meliton Manzanas" a torturer.
No comments:
Post a Comment