The Hidden Violence

Have you ever been in the situation where one morning a female coworker or friend applies a lot of make up but you can still see the bruises?

Usually the victims of domestic violence keep quiet, and unless one of them ends up killed, what happens to them usually goes unnoticed.

Same with the grinding violence against the Basques in Spain (and to certain degree in France).

That is the violence that no one talks about, gallons of ink are spilled by people that claims that "they refuse to ackowledge the right of the Basques to their self determination as long as they allow ETA to conduct attacks".

As if ETA would go from home to home in the Basque Country to ask for permition to plant a bomb or kill someone.

I said it before, ETA is on the run, and that includes being on the run in the Basque Country because its been a long time since the majority of Basques have turn their backs on them, condemning their violent ways.

But do you ever see all those rivers of ink being spilled over issues like the torture against Basque prisoners held under incommunicado detention?

Do you ever read about the policy of dispersion that has killed and wounded hundreds of Basques, draining their economic resources on top of it?

Do you ever read something about the preventive prison terms where Basques have gone up to 5 years without going to trial just to walk free after paying a bail just to have the charges dropped?

Do you ever read anything about the paramilitary groups operating in the Basque Country, harassing, kidnapping and killing Basques that dare to say that they love their fatherland?

No, you don't, that would require serious journalist work, and now a days to be a journalist or a reporter doesn't require much, just ask Jayson Blair.

That hidden brand of violence is the one the Basques have endured since 1936, but no one talks about it. On top, today, they have to endure the violence of ETA, the terrorist organization that allegedly wants their independence but that in reality, is a self serving group that lost all contact with the will of the Basque people a long time ago.

Here is a note that appeared today at Berria regarding the efforts to end that murderous practice called "the dispersion":

8,000 people remember prisoners at the end of the year

Rallies were held in about 60 towns throughout the Basque Country; a demo is planned for January 8 in Bilbo

Editorial Staff – BAIONA (Bayonne)

Rallies took place in support of Basque prisoners the day before yesterday in the afternoon in response to a call made by Etxerat. They coincided with the last Friday of the month, which was New Year’s Eve, so that the prisoners would be remembered at the end of the year, too. 8,000 people gathered in about 60 towns in Gipuzkoa, Bizkaia, Navarre, Araba and Lapurdi. About 50 people gathered outside the prison of Soto del Real (Madrid). The biggest rallies took place in Bilbo and Azkoitia, with the attendance of 700 and 500 people, respectively.

A demonstration is scheduled for this coming Saturday in Bilbao. The slogan will be: Euskal Presoak Euskal Herrira orain (Bring the Basque prisoners to the Basque Country now!). During the rallies the day before yesterday Etxerat appealed to people to take part in the march scheduled to set out from La Casilla in Bilbo at 17.00 hours.

Etxerat believes 2004 has been the year which has seen a worsening in the situation of the prisoners. “There are more Basque prisoners than ever, 716 family members and friends are more dispersed than ever in 88 prisons in 6 countries,” Etxerat pointed out. The association went on to declare that “both the French and Spanish States have announced that they will be maintaining these cruel measures” to send the prisoners further away from the Basque Country than ever, and to “isolate and leave them without any protection”.

Criticism was also directed at the Basque Country’s political parties. “They have had neither the courage nor the will to put an end to all this suffering”. The parties were accused of regarding the prisoners and their relatives as “second class citizens”. “As far as those who call themselves democratic are concerned, our lives are worth less than automatic cash dispensers”.

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