In the past week the Basque Separatist group ETA has seen some very important members fall to foreign authorities. Last friday Spain was given Ignacio Pedro Santesteban Goikoetxea, also known as Einstein, after France extradited him. Goikoetxea had already been arrested and sentenced in a french court but will most likely face more serious charges in Spain. According to the ineterior ministry he is wanted for "terrorism and the trafficking of arms, explosives and vehicles."
According to an article in the Calgary Herald Spanish forces arrested a man and a woman on thursday in the Basque town of Hernani. Iraitz Santa Cruz Ugade and Isaro Aroarte are suspects in the killing of Ignacio Uria Mendizabal, a Basque businessman who was working on the high speed train that is currently being worked on in the Basque Country and is opposed by ETA.
Another ETA member living abroad might soon be facing the same future as his fellow member. José Ingacio de Juana Chaos is currently living in Belfast, Ireland after fleeing from Spain upon getting released from jail. He had served a jail sentence of 20 years in Madrid for murder and is well known for his attempt at a hunger strike when he received more years on his sentence. Chaos is wanted by Spain for "exalting terrorism" and trying to help ETA in gaining independence. Thomas Burgess of Ireland will decide today whether or not Chaos will stay or go back to Spain where he will have return to jail. Burgess's decision will be made today but the whole process could take some time and I am sure Chaos' lawyers will try and prolong the process as much as they can.
With the help of these other nations the fight against ETA is starting to favor the Spanish government. This could be a very big blow to ETA but with more arrests there is a good possibility of another attack by ETA.
Catalunya libre
6 years ago
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