El Desafío: ETA

ETA was born during Franco's dictatorship as a Basque movement fighting for freedom. But Franco is dead, democracy established and ETA continues to kill. We begin in 1968 with their first murder, that of a Guardia Civil who pulls over terrorists while they were going to collect explosives. Soon there will be more crimes, until reaching the assassination of the president of Franco's government.

With the death of Franco, political prisoners are freed. Many of ETA's terorist will walk out and take the path of death. One of the bloodiest is Jesús María Zabarte, the butcher of Mondragón. We follow his criminal carreer while ETA starts an open war against the State, with murders of businessmen, politicians and military, and even bringing terror to the civilian population.

The escalation of ETA reaches an unusual level: car bombs that kill dozens of people, especially Guardias civiles. It's objective is to force the Government to recognize the independence of Euskadi. And for that it will eliminate whoever gets in the way, including its dissenting members. But the State reacts with operations that put ETA against the ropes, one of them with the help of the CIA.

The State agrees to negotiate with ETA, although it's leaders have no intention of giving up and new corpses continue to resurface. Especially in 1992, the great showcase of Spain with the Universal Exhibition of Seville and the Olympic Games in Barcelona. At that critical moment there will be a great victory for the State and the Guardia Civil with the dismantling of ETA's high command.

ETA's new leadership is even more bloodthirsty than the previous one. One of it's main decisions is the attempted assassination of the candidate for the presidency of the Government. There are kidnappings and murders of politicians, public figures and Guardias civiles. During this time, the kidnapping of a young, previously unknown, Basque councilor, will be the beginning of the end for ETA.

The murder of Miguel Ángel Blanco will turn society against ETA. The State strikes back by illegalizing its political arm and ensuring that the sentences are in agreement with the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights. The master mind of ETA's last actions, Kantauri, falls thanks to the Guardia Civil in the most important blow against the group since the dismantlement of their high command.

ETA is once again against the ropes, but it is an injured and dangerous animal that will try to blow up the financial center of Madrid. However, a terrorist action that has nothing to do with the band seals their destiny, the bloodiest attack in the history of Europe: on March 11, 2004, 193 people die in a series of jihadist actions that shake Madrid and shock the world.

ETA is over. Nevertheless, they try to reapply pressure over the State, which again is negotiating with their representatives. But fate is sealed. The leader of the band, Txeroki, falls while the last murders in Spain and France are commited. Finally, on September 5, 2010, ETA issues a statement on the BBC announcing that they will cease violence. The fight is over. The rest is silence.