Video of the ETA permanent ceasefire announcement

ETA has announced in a statement a permanent, comprehensive and verifiable cease-fire. According to the statement released by the terrorist group, the ceasefire «can be verified by the international community» and represents «ETA’s commitment to a definitive settlement process and the end of armed confrontation.»

The statement fails to explicitly mention the permanent abandonment of arms and makes no reference to Batasuna or the Basque nationalist left. It does however reiterates conditions already laid down by the terrorist group in the past (territoriality and self-determination) and ensures ETA will not waver in this «effort and struggle.» «The democratic process must overcome all sorts of denial and violation of rights and duty to resolve the keys of territoriality and the right to self-determination that are the core of political conflict,» the note. The statement has been met with scepticism by the Government («it is good news, but it is nothing new» said Rubalcaba) and the Popular Party, whose general secretary, Maria Dolores de Cospedal has pointed out that in the statement ETA neither announces dissolution of the terrorist organization nor apologises to its victims.