Basque terrorist group “Euskadi Ta Azkatasuna” (Eta) has announced a “permanent cease-fire,” ending 38 years of violence, extortion and organized terror campaigns. Politicians and victims groups, however, are wary. According to Associate Professor of Spanish Sylvia Trelles, “they have a history of breaking these peace agreements, which puts great doubt on what they have said.” Eta is believed to be responsible for over 800 deaths as part of its campaign for an independent Basque state, encompassing parts of northern Spain and southern France. They have a long and violent history, stretching back to the mid-1950s. However, in recent years, they have been weakened by a wave of arrests, according to The New York Times, and according to Spanish authorities they are at a low ebb financial and politically. With the March 11, 2004 train bombings in Madrid – which were traced to Islamic extremists and killed 191 people – made their usual forms of violent political protest politically unviable.

Despite Eta’s past, there is great optimism for this cease-fire. “What might make a difference this time is that in Catalonia they just passed what is called an ‘estatuto de autonomia,’ which set the terms for autonomy,” Trelles said. “This may give the Basques the idea that their struggle has been won by Catalonia.” Catalonia is another strongly independent province of Spain, and this “estatuto” granted them a great deal of freedom and the right to be considered a nationality, essentially what Eta has been striving for.

Also, there has been pressure from other radical political groups. According to the BBC, several former leaders of the Irish political group Sinn Fein have been communicating with leaders of Eta, attempting to convince them to give up violence as a form of protest.

The cease-fire began at midnight on March 24, and since then there has been a great deal of communication between the Spanish and French governments and the Basque group. Also, according to the BBC, police control over suspected Eta members has lightened, most notably with the release on bail of Basque political leader Arnaldo Otegi.

Eta is the terrorist arm of the Basque nationalist movement. The political arm, Batasuna, was banned from Madrid’s political scene three years ago for its ties to Eta. However, with the end of the threat of terror it seems likely that Batasuna will be allowed back into the peace process. It is hoped that this cease-fire will promote Basque causes and allow a peaceful compromise to be reached.