Basque Separatism

Basque separatism is a long-standing struggle for self-determination of the Basque regions in Spain and France that dates back to the 19th century. Today, the main separatist group for Basque is Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), which was formed in the 1950s with the goal of creating a completely independent, socialist Basque.

Fast Facts

1. Basque has operated under an autonomous government in Spain since 1978
2. France has a Basque Nationalist Party
3. Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna means Basque Homeland and Freedom
4. ETA considered a terrorist organization
5. Responsible for over 800 deaths over 30 years¹
6. 2006 raids captured weapons from ETA and arrested over 20 suspects¹

Ceasefires

The Spanish Government has attempted to negotiate with ETA through a number of temporary ceasefires in the past. In March of 2006, a permanent ceasefire was issued to open a dialog between the two parties. Nine months later, however, a bombing at a Spanish airport broke that agreement.²

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