Spain celebrates end to ETA’s Basque separate violence

Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA – ‘Basque Homeland and Freedom’) announces to lay down weaponry after four decades of violence to negotiate demands for a separate nation.

In their attempts for an independent state, the ETA has killed more than 800 people since the late 1960s.

The historic announcement was made yesterday via video by three ETA members wearing Basque berets and masks with eye-slits.

Negotiations have repeatedly been refused by the Spanish government but Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero claimed the ETA concession was a victory for Spanish democracy.

This was the first time the group had been willing to lay down arms and came as the country prepares for general elections in November.

Some analysts consider this to be a key political boost for the ruling Socialist Party as defeat is almost certain with national employment levels ranking the highest in the Eurozone.