The Basque separatist group ETA announced a permanent ceasefire yesterday, bringing a dramatic end to a decades-long campaign of violence and closing the door on one of Western Europe's last active armed separatist movements.
In a video statement, ETA said it "has decided to declare a permanent ceasefire as of March 24, 2006."
"The aim of [the ceasefire] is to promote a democratic process in the Basque country and to build a new framework in which our rights as a people will be recognized," the group said.
"ETA also calls on the Spanish and French authorities to respond positively to this new situation, leaving their repressive ways behind," the statement said.
The video showed three people seated at a table in front of an ETA flag, with their faces covered by droopy beige masks and all wearing Basque berets. The video was played on national TV and distributed to local Basque TV and newspaper outlets.
Speculation about an end to ETA's armed campaign has been building for months, despite a recent wave of small-scale bombings against Basque businesses. About a dozen small bombs have gone off, most in the Basque region, in the last three weeks. The targets are businesses, banks and institutional offices.
Some have said the recent wave of explosions was an attempt to pad their war chests before a ceasefire made it too late.
Last month, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he was optimistic ETA would soon declare a truce.
Zapatero has been an outspoken proponent of granting more home-rule to Spain's 17 regions, including the Basque country and the northeastern economic powerhouse Catalonia. The issue has stirred great debate in Spain, with many on the right warning that the country could fall apart.
The prime minister has offered to hold talks with Basque separatist leaders once ETA agreed to lay down its arms, and Spain's parliament has backed the move.
There was no immediate government reaction to yesterday's surprise ceasefire, but ordinary Spaniards rejoiced.
"I can't believe it!" said Carmen Marichalar, 53, a Madrid tourism office official. "I think it's brilliant. Now they can negotiate and bring an end to this terrorism which has gone on for so long in Spain."
Sandra Dorada, a 29-year-old postal worker, was equally jubilant: "It's amazing! I hope to God it's true ... But they [ETA] have said this before and it wasn't true."
ETA has announced a number of ceasefires in the past, though never before said they were permanently renouncing violence. The last temporary truce started in 1998 and lasted 14 months.
ETA has not staged a fatal attack since May 2003, when a car bomb killed two policemen in the northern town of Sanguesa.
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