Arnaldo Otegi in “La Directa”: “The state tries to play chess with boxing gloves and it is simply impossible”

This interview was carried out by Gemma Garcia for La Directa, which published it on the 8th October 2015, instead of a face to face interview, Arnaldo Otegi’s inprisonment conditions forced him to respond to a previously set questionnary.

In prison since October 2009, Arnaldo Otegi is considered the most senior political leader in the Basque independence movement, and a key player in its decision to focus solely on political and democratic mechanisms.
The change of strategy led to the armed Basque organisation ETA declaring a “definitive cessation” of armed struggle back in October 2011, just a few days after international mediators led by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan formally called on the group to lay down arms.

British writer John Carlin, author of “Playing the Enemy”[from which the film “Invictus” was based on], conducted a written interview with Arnaldo Otegi, who is being held at the prison of Navalcarnero.

Part of this interview was first published in “El Pais”, this is a translation of the complete text:

Arnaldo Otegi (Elgoibar, 1956) has answered from the cell the long questionnaire from Berria. He is in prison for five years now, condemned in the Bateragune case. He is one of the main agents of that ETA has left behind the historical armed cycle. He follows the political situation closely (but from the inside). He considers that the Basque Country must “prioritize” independence, inscribing in that the agenda of the consequences of the conflict. The interview was done by Iñaki Petxarroman.