Radical Basque nationalism in the film "Yoyes"

Radical Basque Nationalism

The objective of this work is to research 'Radical Basque Nationalism' with reference to the film "Yoyes" (2000) which is a Spanish political drama based on the life and death of real-life terrorist and member of the ETA, Dolores Gonzalez. This work is to be a cultural essay on the Basque Nationalism. This subject will be discussed through the prism of the film in highlighting relevant issues within this topic.

What Constitutes Nationalism?

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that the term 'nationalism' is used generally for providing description of two phenomena, which are:

The attitudes that the members of a nation have when they care about their national identity; and 2) the actions that the members of a nation take when seeking to achieve (or sustain) self-determination." (2001)

While there are differences in definitions the Stanford Encyclopedia claims there is "a fair amount of agreement" about the historically typical form of nationalism" which is one that "features the supremacy of the nation's claims over other claims to individual allegiance and which features full sovereignty as the persistent aim of its political program." (2001) According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Classical Nationalism is: "...the political program that sees creation and maintenance of a fully sovereign state owned by a given ethno-national group ("people" or "nation") as a primary duty of each member of the group." (nd) Fundamental features of nationalism include: (1) historic territory or homeland; (2) common myths, traditions and memories; (3) a common culture; (4) common legal rights and duties; and (5) a common economy and territorial mobility. (Gregh, nd; paraphrased)

I. Basque Identity - Brief History & Emergence

The work of Arregi and Crull states that the origins of the Basque: "...remains a mystery" however these people "are generally considered to be descendants of preindoeuropean people who have inhabited the Pyrenees since the Stone Age." (1996) the origins of the ancient non-indoeuropean language, which they speak, specifically the language of Euskera is a mystery as well. There has never been a unified nation-state formed by the Basque to incorporate all of their seven provinces but instead are constitute of a "loose confederation united in defense of the Basque race, culture, language, customs, and the Basque system of common law." (Arregi and Crull, 1996)

At the time the French and Spanish states of the Basques were consolidated the agreement was that each province would keep control over the cultural and political organizations that were traditional. This system is stated by Arregi and Crull (1996) to have remained "more of less untouched for centuries" leading up to the French revolution of 1789 and the ending of the second Spanish Carlist War in 1876. During these times France and Spain "attempted to forge unitary states within their territorial boundaries" which has not yet been accomplished even today. Both France and Spain abolished the fueros which "...engendered the Basque nationalist movement" in Spain. (Arregi and Crull, 1996)

The defeats suffered by the Basques following the defeat in 1876, resulted in their suffering crises of the nature of cultural, political and economic sort and this was followed by industrialization in Spain driven by iron from the Basque mines which caused an economic boom and "a great influx of Spanish immigrants, which changed the composition of the traditional Basque society." (Arregi and Crull, 1996) Spanish modernization resulted in an attack upon the language and culture of the Basque with their language banned from being spoken in schools. The result was the founding of the Basque Nationalist Party (BNP) in 1895 and the formulated goal of an independent Basque state.

Summary & Conclusion

Dolores Gonzalez was drawn to the plight of the Basque people because of the sufferings and persecution that this group had received at the hands of the Spanish and the French and clearly there were reasons for this group to fight for the preservation of their language an culture and this was what drew Dolores to the group in the beginning. However, as time went on and Dolores witnessed the brutal and senseless murder of innocent victims, most specifically the murder of children she began to question her part in the group's activities and her conscience led her to desert the group that while based on real ideals and principles did not adhere to application of those principles toward other individuals in their activities.

The work of Enric Martinez-Herrera entitled: "Nationalist Extremism and Outcomes of State Policies in the Basque Country, 1979-2001" states that: "Insurgent nationalist extremis is on the main concerns of Spanish governments and citizens." (2002) Martinez-Herrera states that "The most prominent materialization of the Basque nationalist extremis is terrorism, in which Euskadi ta Askatasuna (ETA) stands out, almost incomparably." (2002) the ETA has existed for over forty years resulting in more than one thousand murders. Martinez-Herrera reports that the ETA attacks to include all fatalities during the period between 1969 and 2001 is noted to have been at a maximum during the period from 1978 to 1980 during the transition to democracy.

Martinez-Herrera (2002) holds that it is necessary that the ETA's origin and persistence be viewed along with the exchanges of the group with the "broader environment" (Martinez-Herrera, 2002) because in the case of the Basque: "...it is possible to consider a system of concentric circles." (Martinez-Herrera, 2002) in the very center of the ETA are the terrorist organizations however, "in a broader circle, there is a network of interconnected support organizations, including political parties, trade unions, associations, mass media, even firms..." including those who vote for the Basque parties. It is the external of these that "corresponds to those who share ideas of rejection toward Spain, independence for the Basque country." (Martinez-Herrera, 2002)

This must certainly have been the view of Dolores Gonzales at the time she made her decision to separate herself from the Basque terrorist organization and exile herself in Mexico. While it was possible for Dolores to understand the plight of the Basque people, to desire that they receive the freedom to speak their own language, maintain their own culture and be a self-determining nation of people, at the same time, for Dolores, the means simply did not justify the ends. History relates that even a twelve-year period of time was not enough time to dissipate the extremist type of revenge that the ETA is known for perpetrating upon those who oppose them and specifically those which this group views as traitorous to their cause. For a group that is so vehemently in support of their own right to be a group that is self-determined this group certainly did remove that choice when the life of Dolores Gonzalez was so heinously ended in front of her innocent child.