Rajoy insists that “the terrorist group ETA will not gain any political benefit” from disarming

AT  Wednesday’s question time in Spain’s Lower House of Parliament, the President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, insisted that the Government’s position has not varied with respect to the terrorist group ETA.

In response to the announcement of the terrorist group ETA’s disarmament, Mariano Rajoy agreed with the opinion of the spokesperson of the Socialist Group, Antonio Hernando, that this disarmament must be unconditional.

Rajoy classified ETA as a “terrorist group”, recalling that “there is no negotiation with terrorists”.

That is why he explained that “the terrorist group ETA will not obtain any political benefit, in the same way that it has not gained any political benefit for stopping its killing.”

In the opinion of the President of the Government, “so far, the only ETA disarmament has been that carried out by the Spanish and French security forces.”

He also noted that “if the terrorist group wants to disarm” it should do so without delay.

Rajoy declared that the terrorist group should indicate “where the arms are, without changing their location, content and any type of negotiations.”

He also recalled the victims of terrorism, saying that “we will never forget them”. He recognised that the immense majority of Spanish people want to see a “definitive closure to a period that has only brought death and a great deal of suffering”.