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ETA: Coming in from the Cold

The Basque separatists ETA declared an indefinite ceasefire last month after 30 years of brutal activity against the Spanish state. The murder in July 1997 of young politician Miguel Angel Blanco was widely regarded as the nadir in an independence movement which has claimed nearly 800 lives. Orla Guerin explores the background to the ceasefire, asking whether it indicates a genuine desire for peace or amounts to a cynical ploy to gain votes on the eve of the Basque regional elections. She speaks to all sides in the conflict, including ETA representatives and Spain's Interior Minister, and there is exclusive footage of the peace declaration being made. Guerin also interviews the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, who reveals the extent of the ETA's long association with the IRA, and how much the Northern Ireland peace process played a part in ETA's ceasefire.

English
  • Originally Aired October 24, 1998
  • Runtime 45 minutes
  • Network BBC Two
  • Created August 6, 2025 by
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  • Modified August 9, 2025 by
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