Arnaldo Otegi:

Basque Abertzale Left - Present and future of the Basque Country - Arnaldo Otegi The State refined a strategic plan after the Lizarra-Garazi Declaration. The State was conscious that all the red scares had burned out and that a popular and democratic process was being led, among others, by the pro-Independence Left which demands a national and democratic model for the country. And the State focused on two objectives: to neutralise the pro-Independence Left through repression and to to redirect the Basque Nationalist Party to a position of a pact with the State, of contract with the State, to converting itself into a regionalist force within the Spanish state. And the State has managed, to an extent, something that we, from our point of view, also need to say, without any kind of apprehension or expectation of defeat: while it’s true that we have been capable of wearing away its models, they have been capable of blocking the dynamic which permits the construction of a new model. But today, it needs to be said, loud and clear, that such is only a partial victory because, from our point of view, it continues to be crystal clear that conditions continue to exist in the country, both objective and subjective, for political and social change. There continues to exist here a majority that wishes to have its national identity respected, that wishes respect for its right to decide; here there exists a popular majority that wants a political change in social and national terms. Today, the pro-Independence Left, despite being aware that we have difficult objectives and despite knowing that they have managed to partly block the process of national liberation, have to say loud and clear: the conditions for political and social change exist in the Basque Country; we wish to say today to the Inquisitionists of the XXI Century, to those who think that they can put gates on land and on the sea, that the pro-Independence Left, in spite of all, was not born in this country in order to resist nor even to respond. WE CAME INTO EXISTENCE IN ORDER TO WIN! AND WE SHALL WIN! We must link our forces to the left of the PNV. We need to construct a historical block alliance led by the pro-Independence Left together with others to bring the national liberation process to conclusion. And it needs to be done slowly and gradually, because that is not going to be a process without contradictions; he problem of contradictions is knowing how to negotiate them. But the process, for its unblocking, starting up and for its development, needs an accumulation of forces. And it is necessary to accumulate forces in order to change the balance of forces with the state and it is also necessary in order to build unity with the left of the Basque Nationalist Party in this country. That is the second of the great tasks assigned to the pro-Independence Left and we are going to begin it, despite the repression and all the other obstacles that are put on the table, patiently and without rushing, but taking effective steps to build a workers’ block, a popular block which will claim with clarity the national independence of Euskal Herria (Basque Country). That is our second great challenge. Our third great challenge is that we have to strengthen our relationship with the international community. We have always said and today we reiterate that the resolution of the political conflict has to be achieved in a European context and should engage the participation of the international community. That is work which the pro-Independence Left has been developing for years, which we have not abandoned and that we are going to renew in the coming months n order to achieve the involvement and support of the international community in search of a democratic solution to the conflict. And finally, and I say “finally” in that order, the second half of the match will need to be played, that which some people abandoned in a central European city in the previous negotiation process. And it will have to be done because there is no other solution than that of negotiation, and because of that we need to say, when Mr. Rubalcaba says to us “Leave it or leave it”, we wish to say: NEGOTIATE OR NEGOTIATE! NEGOTIATE OR NEGOTIATE! I wish you to know that the Basque workers and the popular forces of this country, in which we are organised in order to build a national and social liberation process in this country, that we will never forget the example that you have given, the commitment that you have given and to which you have stuck and which you have also put forward to seek a dialogue and political solution to the conflict which puts Euskal Herria in confrontation with the Spanish State. In our eyes, you are the best... and you will always be the best! As when 30 years ago a man presented himself in the United Nations, today also the pro-Independence Left presents itself to the states of the world, before its people and in front of the international community with an olive branch in hand. Let no-one drop that olive branch! LONG LIVE A FREE EUSKAL HERRIA!