By Windsor Genova

 

Madrid, Spain

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero hailed the Basque separatists ETA's declaration to end four decades of violence.

Describing it as a victory for democracy, Zapatero, in a television address, said, "For many years, for too many years, we have suffered and fought terror, we have done so until a path to democratic reason was opened definitively."

"The actions of the justice system, the intelligence services and many other public servants have contributed to this end," said the prime minister.

The announcement came just days before November 20 general elections in which he decided not to contest. It is widely believed that he would transfer power to the conservative opposition Popular Party.

"Let us live today the legitimate satisfaction of a victory for democracy, law and reason, a satisfaction stained by the unforgettable memory of the pain caused by a violence which should never have occurred and which should never return," he added.

World - Spanish PM Welcomes ETA's Declaration to End Guerilla Activity | Global Viewpoint