Subcomandant Marcos from the Mexican guerrilla Zapatista Army broke his silence to criticize the latest repression by the Spanish government in the Basque Country and to exposed the pretentious Spanish judge Garzón. The communiqué provoked a reply from this judge who was answered again by Marcos proposing a debate on the Basque conflict and making some proposals to ETA for cease-fire too.




On 3rd December Judge Garzón replied to Marcos' communiqué saying that he "rather to be associated to democracy as a clown than to hide it behind false rebelliousness, violence, infamy, ignorance, immorality, and those that he represents every time a bit clearer ".
Then Garzón launches an attack against Marcos for ignoring the pain that the Spanish people are suffering from the terrorists and he reminds him the 853 deaths of ETA (just the ones by ETA - he doesn't remind other deaths, other prisoners and torture because he has refused every single report about it).

According the judge the only rebelliousness is the one fought everyday in under the state's law.: "between all we try to consolidate a system of guarantees which cohesion as a diverse country and which organises us as a plurinational country".

Garzón then goes to justify the banning imposed on Batasuna by saying that it's not ideas what are persecuted: "it seems like you and others like you -referring to Marcos- whom build your discourse on the outdated and rejected Francoism , are annoyed because this phase is over in Spain, because there is freedom, power control and State by Law and that in Spain terrorism is persecuted according the law, from the law and with all the guarantees and controls that the judicial power rules. Judge Garzón also expresses his pride for the Spanish legal system which he calls 'one of the most rigorous one in the world' with a Constitutional tribunal -he follows- and an European Human Rights tribunal. "here everyone has room even to separate themselves, however that has to be without violence, through the political struggle" he adds to continue his attack on 'terrorists'.

"You (Marcos) has offended severely those ones who have taken active part in the construction of Spain's democracy: the king of Spain and the government presidents Felipe González and José María Aznar".

Constructors of democracy? The king was appointed by general Franco and he didn't continue with the regime because at the time the left opposition including ETA was unstoppable. Felipe González? The organiser of the paramilitary GAL murderers of more than 30 Basques? The man involved in so many political scandals? Constructor of democracy? José María Aznar? The continuator of all these policies? The one who imprisoned and persecuted so many Basques, organisations and parties without evidence? The one who put into practice the banning of the first party in Europe? Yes, those ones, because Judge Garzón continues his praises for those "constructors of democracy". Garzón also criticises the way Marcos treats the Pinochet case that he promoted to say that he thought Marcos was something different, 'some kind of ray of coherence'.

The magistrate even questions the integrity of a such a guerrilla man as Marcos: -when in a beginning, leading your 'Army', you gained the sympathy of many people (including myself), you had the possibility of taking the Indigenous cause to a good port but you mistook the course and now we know why-.

Because according to the judge he doesn't believe in the human rights neither in democracy, because he's friend of the 'terrorists', I presume-And he still considers himself a pacifist because he has just not handled a weapon in his life. Still, all his acts imprisoning random people, politicians, MPs, people who haven't committed a crime but to belong to a party, his constant denials of practices such as torture by the Spanish police and even in the very Spanish High Hearing place him in that category that he denies: fascist. He also criticised Marcos for hiding his acts while he signs them and shows his face all over. Too right!

His advice to Marcos:
-Abandon your costume and your hiding place, demonstrate that you're a leader, show your face, face the Mexican society, defend your ideas in equal conditions; abandon the arms, allow your men to be free, don't kidnap neither repress the Democracy. From gachupín (from Spanish origin) to gachupín (because I don't doubt that you have gachupín blood in your veins) and with the highest respect for Mexico, lovely country that the Spaniards including Basques so much debit, I challenge you when you want and where you want without neither masks nor costumes, face to face, to talk about terrorism, rebelliousness, dignity, struggle, insurgency, politics, justice, about all those values that enable us to build a country and a democracy and to defend the rights of the disposed.
-Today is always 'still'- Machado said.
I have the light hope that you recover the reason that you seem to have lost and that democratic character that you seemed to have-.

Marcos accepts Baltasar Garzón's challenge to debate
Marco's replies to Garzón on 7th December saying tat he didn't like his insults and that he accepts the challenge: he wants to take part in a debate with the magistrate. 'According the rules of the cavalry, as I am the challenged knight I have the right to set the conditions for the challenge'. These ones are that the place will be in Lanzarote (Canary islands) from 3 to 10th April 2003. And that Garzón will provide guarantees and visas for him and what he calls six escuderos using his medieval style. He also invites all the sectors from Basque politics, culture and society to hold similar debate in the same place.

He asks Garzón to come to the debate aiming to ask the government to contribute with distension measures in the Basque Conflict. Contrary, Marcos will attend just to listen as the subject is just relevant to the self-determination of the Basque Country. Following to this point Marcos presents the things he commits himself too and that were achieved on the same day that he replied to Garzón: he addressed ETA asking to declare a 177 day cease-fire starting from 24th December and he addressed to the socio-political Basque organisations to propose them the beginning of a campaign - -A chance to communication-. Marcos proposes that a winner is selected by a jury whose members are elected four by Garzón and three by the EZLN.

The price in case Garzón wins will be to unmask Marcos. He will also apologise to the magistrate and he'll be available to be tortured as he says ' just as they torture Basques when they're arrested'.

If in the contrary the magistrate is the beaten one, he will support the EZLN in their demands they will present in International institutions demanding the acknowledgement of the Native rights and culture refused by the three powers of the Mexican government.

They'll also present demands against former president Zedillo for his responsibility in the Acteal massacre (45 people). he reminds that Zedillo was awarded by Spanish president Aznar. They'll also present demands against the Spanish politicians / governors who were accomplices of Zedillo in different aggressions against Native people.

'You have the opportunity of choosing: you place your knowledge and abilities to help a noble and just cause (and in the same time you demonstrate that the International justice doesn't just help to launch wars and cover criminals) o you continue where you are, getting the strokes from those ones who are on the top because of the blood and pain of the ones on the bottom'.

The text finishes with more of that Zapatista humour and poetry that Marcos is used to referring to his pipe (according Garzón 'ridiculous') and to the Zapatistas' drift.

Marcos says to ETA representing the Zapatistas and native people of Chiapas. He states that the EZLN as a difference with ETA doesn't target civilians providing the reasons. Still, he agrees with the just and noble cause of Basques.

He continues by acknowledging the thousands of Basques killed, executed, tortured and missed by the Spanish state and that are ignored in their accounts. Then he explains his proposal to Garzón asking ETA to agree with the 177 day cease-fire. He also invites representatives of ETA to attend the debate organised by him.

Talking to the different social, political and cultural groups within the Basque Country, Marcos invite them to take par in the 'Let's give communication a chance' mobilisation, previous to the 'Basque Country: Paths' gathering. He also states that he hopes this -initiative to be successful and a ray of hope for all people of the world-.

To the Spanish and Basque civil society:, he says that they refereed to the political struggle and not the armed one but that they accept the controversy as it was on purpose as they wanted to create that polemic. He continues saying that one of the EZLN's main aims is the defence of the Indigenous peoples rights. He apologises for this and because the Spanish government use these facts to distract the public attention from the Prestige oil disaster.

Then he also presents his(their) debate proposal. He states: 'terror can be combated with terror but it can't be defeated by this means' in clear allusion to the forms chosen by the Spanish state to solve the Basque conflict. He continues: 'that the legal arguments are used to justify tortures, murders, executions but it doesn't end with those ones whom by ideological or religious arguments justify other peoples' deaths'.

He adds that nowadays 'they force us to chose between one and other terror and that to criticise one means to support the other one'. This leaves the place to the presentation of the proposal : 'let's give a chance to communication', a proposal that he surrounds of positivity.

The fourth letter (if we can state an order) is addressed to the Basque nationalists in the same terms of asking them to take part in the proposal. Marcos considers the Basque Left different from the Mexican one as it has an alternative political project not just of self-determination for the Basque Country but also for a 'more just, democratic, freer, and therefore more human system'.
-Because of this I refer to you, to your experience, your struggle, your heroism and your moral authority which have been developed without a doubt inside the noble Basque country-. He says that there are paths still to discover and that he wants to work on the process of finding them. Once again, he asks the Basque left to 'to give a chance to the peace'.

Among the different reactions we can mention the one of the Kanary Nation Liberation Movement who feels excluded from the equation and non acknowledged by Marcos project of negotiation between Basques and the Spanish State. This movement replied to Marcos saying they don't want 'fascist Garzón' to step in their islands.

Marcos' communiqué and first letter to Spanish Judge Garzón
Translation by Euskalinfo

12th October 2002 (1)

National Liberation Zapatista Army. MEXICO
For: Angel Luis Lara, alias The Rusian.
from: Sup Marcos.

Ruso, brother: first of all a hug. Secondly an advice: I think it'll be good for you to change your nickname, so the Chechnians don't mistake you and then, yes, bye-bye Aguascalientes (2) and adios to one of the best rock current musicians.

The date (12th October) when I start writing to you these lines is not accidental (nothing is accidental in Zapatistas). Neither is the absurd bridge that on this day I try to reach where you work to organise the inauguration of the Madrid Aguascalientes.

I'm sure that everything will be alright and that the absence of the idiot of Aznar (whose name says it all, he just needs to 'bray' (3)) and the constipated king Juan Carlos will be un-noticeable even for the Hello magazine.

But tell everyone who is with you in that heroic project no to get down. It's due to be out (deported, for sure) a magazine called "Rebeldía" which, without a doubt, will have a section of 'socials' where you will be able to insert a notice to put those about the Infanta's (4) wedding on the level of 'children parties'.
Otherwise, once mentioned the "Rebeldía" magazine, to be coherent, the first thing that it'll do will be to rebel against orthography, so don't spend too much in the payments section.
By the way, if it includes photos it's more expensive (at less they are porn) and the price -I'm afraid to say- is not in euros but in Marks (5) because of preferring a strong currency.

Therefore no tears if the royals don't turn up. Otherwise, they'll be plenty of men, women, children, elders no just in the Iberian peninsula but mainly from it.
If all of them are there, it'll be a big success. But I have to warn you that whenever those ones on the bottom succeed, the police always turns up. Because those ones on the bottom just have to cry and to resign as I don't know what number crown's passed I don't know when. But by the rhythm of the Guardia Civil's clubs, everyone goes to prison with their Aguascalientes, or to the cemetery which is the place that the Spanish 'democracy' owns for the Iberian rebels.
I know for sure that no just state people will attend that rebellious party, which equals an Aguascalientes, but they'll be a majority.

Transatlantic canoes
We can't attend as we're planning to invade Europe in the coming days and as you can imagine, everyone here has his/her luggage ready (well, if you can call luggage two bags of toasts, a saucer of rancid beans, two bottles of non-GM corn paste and endless chilly pepper) and still, no-one has available a life belt.

The most cautious ones carry some sickness pills and ask, naively, if there'll be any 'sanitarian stops'.

But that's not the worse thing: the matter is that I can't convince them that with the cayucos (canoes made out of a carved-off trunk) we can't get too far.
We shouldn't ignore that Chiapas has no exit to the Atlantic Ocean and that as we don't have enough money to pay to cross the Panama channel, we'll have to go round trough the Pacific ocean, along the Philipinnes, India, Africa and go up to the Canary Islands.

'Cause it will be bad manners to reach there through land. We'll have to cross Mongolia, the ruber of the Soviet Union, -where we'll be careful of saying that we go to see 'El Ruso' and for them to sort it out- Western Europe, through France to get some "Chateau Neuf Du Pape, harvest of 69"
(-)

Conquistadores and neo-liberals
I told you that this letter's date is not accidental, that there is a reason to start this writing on the 12th October to welcome the Aguascalientes project.
In some sectors they have the mistaken idea that the situation of the Native peoples of Mexico is due to the Spanish conquest.
And this doesn't mean that Hernán Cortés and rest of armoured and habit bandits who went with him were good makers, but compared to the current neo-liberal governors, they are charity nuns.

From the men and women of the proud Spain we have received just the sister word, the solidarity without conditions, the listening hear, the helping hand, the waving one, the hugging one.

Therefore, forgive me Father Hidalgo, but the Zapatistas shout: "¡Abajo los neoliberales! ¡Arriba los gachupines!" (Down with the neoliberals, Up with the Gachupines(9)!)

I imagine that the band from Cataluña will be round there - they play rancheras (10) very bad but at work no-one can keep on their rhythm. And the ones from Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Andalucía, Murcia, Extremadura, Valencia, Aragón, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra, Islas Baleares, Islas Canarias and Madrid must be to arrive too.
To all of them give them our love, that we have for everyone enough. Because with so many brothers and sisters and so big all of them, our arms have grown up because of the love that we have for them.

What? That I have left the Basque Country outside? Not, I want to ask you to make a special mention to these brothers and sisters.

I know well that that grotesque clown of Judge Garzón, from the hand of the Spanish political class (which is as ridiculous as the court, but without that discrete charm that he provides - How is the duchess today? Good, Baron, it's not strange at all to Felipillo (11) the Joker, because Pepillo is as funny as he is.
By the way, they would do well doing their zip up, Baron, in case that you take a cold which is the only thing that you can get in court, etc) is putting forward a real state terrorism which no honest man or woman can look out without indignation.

Yes, judge Garzón has declared the political struggle illegal in the Basque Country. After being ridiculised with that story to cheat idiots of catching Pinochet (which the only result was to give him some paid holydays), demonstrates his real fascist vocation by denying to the Basque Country the right to fight politically for a cause that is legitimate.

And I don't say this just because of that. But because here, we've seen very good Basque sisters and brothers. They were in the peace camps. They didn't come to lecture us, nor to teach us, nor to make bombs, nor to plan murders.
Because here, the only bombs(12) are the Chiapas ones, that in comparison with the Yucatan ones don't have a rhyme.

Because there you have that Olivio arrives and tells me that if I give him some nut chocolates that I was given as a price because it was rumoured I was very poorly, then he would sign me a bomba.
-Come on- I tell him when I see the chocolates at risk. And Olivio goes: -Bomba, bomba: in my house yard there is an orange tree, how pretty is your sister-
I am not offended because him mentioning my sister but because of the lack of rime and still, I give Olivio the chocolates- but on his head, because I throw them at him as I chase him till extenuation, that's it, until the first steps.

On top of that, the only attacks here are against the good musical taste when I grab the guitar and I tune with my unequalable baritone voice that one -every time that I get drunk, I swear that something happens to me, I go straight to you and I mistake the hammock-.

Sure that if Manu Chao hears me he contracts me. Of course, as long as he doesn't have to pay for those two guitar strings that he trashed in that session when he sang with other rebel brothers that one of the 'schizophrenic Cow'. Or was it the one of the 'Mad Cow'? Well, if he's around give Manu five and tell him that we forgive him the strings, when we meet again in the next station, that as it's known, it's called -Hope-.

And if Manu doesn't contract me I go to Amparo's band - though I may need to change its name and instead of "Amparonoia" I'll call it "Amparofobia", because of that of critics globalizing too.

Anyway, that for terrorists what we need is vocation and not resources.
But, well, it happens that here we had our Basque brothers and sisters and they behaved with dignity, that is how Basques use to behave.

And I don't know if Fermin Muguruza is around but I remember that when he came around once he was asked where he was from and he replied 'Basque' and he was asked again 'Basque from Spain or Basque from France' and he didn't even changed his expression to reply: 'Basque from the Basque Country'.

And I was looking for something in Basque to send as greetings to the Basque brothers and sisters, and I didn't find much, but I don't know if my dictionary is alright because I search for 'dignity' in Basque and the Zapatista dictionary calls it 'Euskal Herria' (13). At this point you ask them if I was right or if I'm better going back.

Anyway, what Garzón and his mates don't know is that sometimes the dignity turns puercospin and , ay! Take care if you try to squeeze it.

(Following a conversation with Marcos' own character Durito - to be translated)

(1) 12th October: Hispanity day, day that was used to be celebrated in Spain and former colonies to remember the Mother Homecountry (= Spain)
(2) Aguascalientes: names to the 5 main Zapatistas communities which network other communities in Chiapas. They're name after the city of the same name where Zapata and other Mexican revolutionaries held negotiations with the government after its defeat.
(3) joke using 'asnar' as 'Aznar' . In Spanish this will be the verb for 'being a donkey' ('asno')
(4) Spanish princess
(5) Joke: 'Marks' in Spanish are 'Marcos'
(9) Gachupines: descendants from Spaniards in Mexico
(10) Rancheras: Mexican song style
(11) Felipillo: 'Philipy' González former Spain president
(12) Bomba: Mexican hip-hop
(13) Euskal herria: Basque Country in Euskera (Basque language)

Marco's reply to judge Garzón
Originally published in Spanish by La Jornada / Translated by irlandesa
Monday, December 9, 2002.

Zapatista Army of National Liberation.
Mexico. December 7, 2002.

To: Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real
Magistrate-Judge of the No. 5 Central Trial Court of the Supreme Court
Calle Garci'a Gutiérrez 1 28.004
Madrid, Spain.

Señor Baltasar Garzón:
I read the letter which you addressed to me, dated this December 3, 2002 and which was published on the 6th in the Mexican newspaper El Universal. In it, in addition to allowing yourself to insult me with all kinds of labels, you challenged me to a debate at the place and time of my choosing.

I am informing you that I accept the challenge and (as mandated by the laws of knight-errantry), given that I am the man challenged, it is up to me to set the conditions of the meeting.
These are the conditions:

FIRST. The debate will be held in the Canary Islands, more specifically on Lanzarote, from April 3 to 10, 2003.
SECOND. Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real shall secure the necessary and sufficient guarantees and safe-conduct, from the Spanish government as well as from the Mexican, so that the knight who has been challenged and six of his gallants can attend the duel and return home safely. The expenses for the trip and accommodations for Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos and his delegation will be borne by the EZLN, which are coyucos, tostadas, beans and pozol. In addition, insofar as spending the night, the knight-errant (or seafaring-knight) will need no roof other than the dignified Canary sky.
THIRD. In the same place as the debate, parallel to but not simultaneously, a meeting will be held between all the political, social and cultural actors in the Basque problem who so desire. The theme of the meeting will be "The Basque Country: Paths."
FOURTH. Señor Baltasar Garzón Real shall attend that meeting, in order to speak and to listen. He should also make a great effort to convince the Spanish government to contribute, through détente measures, to creating a favorable atmosphere for the event. He should also urge them to send a delegation to the meeting, regardless of their decision making capacity, since they are only being asked to listen and to talk.
FIFTH. The knight Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos shall attend said meeting, but only to listen, because the issue is something which is the responsibility of the sovereignty of the Basque people alone.
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos shall, in addition, address the Basque organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (better known by its initials: ETA), asking them for a unilateral truce for 177 days, during which time the ETA shall not carry out any offensive military actions. The ETA truce shall begin on the dawn of December 24, 2002.
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos shall, similarly, address Basque political and social organizations, and the Basque people as a whole, inviting them to organize and to carry out the above mentioned meeting.
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos shall also address Spanish and Basque civil society, asking them to mobilize for the "An Opportunity For the Word" campaign, whose purpose is to pressure the Spanish government and the ETA to create, throughout the entire Iberian peninsula, suitable conditions for the meeting.
SIXTH. The winner of the debate will be chosen by a panel of judges made up of seven persons, all of them from the Spanish State. Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos yields to Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real the privilege of naming four of the members of the panel of judges and of designating who shall preside over it and, in the case of a draw by way of abstention, of deciding through casting a tie breaking vote, who is the winner in the joust. The other three members of the panel of judges shall be invited by the EZLN.
SEVENTH. If Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real defeats Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos fairly and squarely, he will have the right to unmask him once, in front of whomever he wishes. Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos shall, in addition, publicly apologize and will be subjected to the actions of Spanish justice so that they may torture him (just like they torture the Basques when they are detained) and he may answer to the charges which abound in Señor Garzón Real's latter dated April 3, 2003.
If, on the other hand, Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real is fairly defeated, he will commit himself to legally advising the EZLN on the charges which - as perhaps the last peaceful zapatista recourse, and in front of international legal bodies - will be presented in order to demand the recognition of indigenous rights and culture, which, in violation of international laws and common sense, have not been recognized by the three branches of the Mexican government.
In addition, he shall - if he is able and if he so desires - represent the EZLN legally in front of those international bodies, ONLY as regards the demand for the legal recognition of our rights and culture.
This is owing to the fact that charges will also be presented for crimes against humanity by Señor Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon, responsible for the Acteal killing (perpetrated in the mountains of the Mexican southeast in December of 1997), where 45 indigenous children, women, men and old ones were executed. As will be remembered, Señor Zedillo was recently awarded by Señor José María Aznar, the head of the Spanish government, for his participation in the killings.
Charges will similarly be presented against the heads of state of the Spanish government who, during Señor Zedillo's administration in Mexico, were his accomplices in that, and other, attacks against the Mexican Indian peoples.
These conditions are not negotiable, and Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real shall respond, in a reasonable time period, as to whether or not he accepts them. The details of the debate, on the other hand, can be agreed to by the teams of seconds of the challenger and the challenged.
Señor Fernando Baltasar Garzón Real: as you can see in the copies of the letters I am attaching, I have already begun the task of carrying out the part that I am responsible for.
From one Spaniard to another - since a quarter Spanish blood runs through my veins - I hope that you understand now and that you will be willing to carry on the debate to which you have challenged me.
You have the opportunity to choose: either putting your knowledge and skills at the service of a just and noble cause (and, incidentally, of demonstrating that international justice does not serve only to endorse wars and hide criminals), or of continuing where you are, receiving strokes from those who are above because they are on top of the blood and pain of those of below.
Vale. Salud, and may all this serve to give the word a chance.
From the mountains of the Mexican Southeast.
Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos.
December of 2002.

PS. Know, Your Honour, that all the insults you lavished on me in your letter left me practically u-n-m-o-v-e-d. What did hurt me, a lot, was the remark about the "ridiculous pipe." That's why I'm carving a new one now. You'll see, it will be all the rage when it shows up on the Gran Vía or La Ramblas. By the way, can you smoke in front of the Cibeles?

ANOTHER PS. That stuff about the "boat adrift" has me worried. You mean that the coasts which are looming now aren't those of El Hierro island (considered to be the end of the world until the discovery of America), but those of the island of Java? I already said, when we passed along one side of Krakatoa, that, as usual and in honour the Zapatistas, we had chosen the longest path. Sigh.

Marcos denies supporting 'terrorism' and proposes debate
10 Dec 2002
By Claudia Boyd-Barrett

Chiapas rebel leader Subcommander Marcos issued a series of letters denying rumors he approves of Basque terrorist tactics and personally asked separatists to call a truce with the Spanish government.

In letters addressed to various groups and published Monday by La Jornada daily, the ski-masked rebel spokesman apologized for the "ambiguity" of his remarks in a previous letter. He said his failure to condemn outright Basque separatist attacks against civilians led to the belief he supported the violence.

"To the families of ETA victims ... our sincere apologies if in our ambiguity we failed to respect your pain," Marcos wrote. In other remarks directed to ETA members he said, "We consider just and legitimate the Basque people's struggle for sovereignty, but neither this noble cause, nor any other, justifies the sacrifice of civilian lives."

Marcos' letters came in response to a backlash caused by a previous dispatch that was slammed by Mexican intellectuals and Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzón for its criticisms of the Spanish government. Many also interpreted the communiqué as applauding Basque rebels responsible for hundreds of deaths in their fight to create a separate state in northern Spain and southern France.

Judge Baltasar Garzón , famous for his attempts to bring former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to justice, and more recently the brains behind efforts to outlaw ETA's political arm, retaliated against insults Marcos levied against him in a letter three weeks ago.

Garzón challenged the rebel leader to a public debate, an offer Marcos accepted on the condition that Basque separatists and the families of ETA attack victims also contribute. He argued their participation would be important "so they may talk and listen, without bombs, bullets and apprehension orders."

Marcos proposed the debate with Garzón take place in the Canary Islands on Apr. 7. And to ensure an "adequate environment" for the debate, the rebel leader, in a letter addressed to Basque separatists, asked that ETA respect a four-month unilateral cease-fire.

The enigmatic Marcos, who has remained conspicuously silent on indigenous rights since an unprecedented rebel tour from Chiapas to Mexico City in March 2001, urged Spaniards to demand their government and ETA "give dialogue a chance."

"It would be marvellous for Iberian dignity to ... tell the whole world that it is possible, and necessary to give dialogue a chance," he said in one letter.
The National Zapatista Liberation Army staged a brief armed uprising in the southernmost state of Chiapas in 1994 in the name of socialism and Indian rights.