Editing Politics of Spain (section)

===Terrorism===
{{Update|Demilitarization of ETA|date=March 2015}}
{{See also|ETA (separatist group)}}
[[File:ETA Pasajes 2003 06 28.jpg|thumb|Graffiti in [[Pasaia]] (2003). "ETA, the people with you" on the left, and Batasuna using several nationalist symbols asking for "Independence!"]] 
The Government of Spain has been involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty ([[ETA (separatist group)|ETA]]), an armed secessionist organization founded in 1959 in opposition to Franco and dedicated to promoting Basque independence through [[violence|violent]] means, though originally violence was not a part of their method. They consider themselves a [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] organization but are considered internationally as a [[terrorist]] organisation. Although the government of the Basque Country does not condone any kind of violence, their different approaches to the separatist movement are a source of tension between the Central and Basque governments.

Initially ETA targeted primarily Spanish security forces, military personnel and Spanish Government officials. As the security forces and prominent politicians improved their own security, ETA increasingly focused its attacks on the tourist seasons (scaring tourists was seen as a way of putting pressure on the government, given the sector's importance to the economy) and local government officials in the Basque Country. The group carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995, in which his [[Armored car (VIP)|armored car]] was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA during its campaign of terrorism.

On 17 May 2005, all the parties in the Congress of Deputies, except the PP, passed the Government's motion giving approval to the beginning of peace talks with ETA, without making [[concession (politics)|political concessions]] and with the requirement that it give up its weapons. PSOE, CiU, ERC, PNV, IU-ICV, CC and the mixed group —BNG, CHA, EA and NB— supported it with a total of 192 votes, while the 147 PP parliamentarians objected. ETA declared a "permanent cease-fire" that came into force on 24 March 2006 and was broken by Barajas T4 International Airport Bombings on 30 December 2006. In the years leading up to the permanent cease-fire, the government had had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with French authorities.

Spain has also contended with a [[Marxist]] resistance group, commonly known as [[GRAPO]]. GRAPO (Revolutionary group of 1 October) is an [[urban guerrilla|urban guerrilla group]], founded in Vigo, Galicia; that seeks to overthrow the Spanish Government and establish a Marxist–Leninist state. It opposes Spanish participation in [[NATO]] and U.S. presence in Spain and has a long history of assassinations, bombings, bank robberies and kidnappings mostly against Spanish interests during the 1970s and 1980s.

In a June 2000 communiqué following the explosions of two small devices in Barcelona, GRAPO claimed responsibility for several attacks throughout Spain during the past year. These attacks included two failed armored car robberies, one in which two security officers died, and four bombings of political party offices during the 1999–2000 election campaign. In 2002, Spanish authorities were successful in hampering the organization's activities through sweeping arrests, including some of the group's leadership. GRAPO is not capable of maintaining the degree of operational capability that they once enjoyed. Most members of the groups are either in jail or abroad.