The EH Bildu coalition described it as “unacceptable” that the Civil Guard commemorates for the first time the national day of Spain and that of the body on October 12 with an event in the center of Vitoria. He claims to be “responsible for torture in Euskal Herria, with thousands of victims”. In addition, he accused the municipal government of the PNV and PSE-EE of “complicity” with the “whitewashing” and “normalization” of the armed institute. “In Euskal Herria, everyone knows what the Civil Guard is. Wanting to whitewash it is not acceptable. Democratic coexistence is not compatible with attempts to whitewash state violence, such as torture or the dirty war, in which the Civil Guard has been, with others, a major protagonist”, criticized EH Bildu, who also requested the departure of the troops from this body.
In a press release, the sovereignist formation expressed its “deep concern” in the face of what it considers “a qualitative leap”, given the forecast of a “military parade in the center of the capital of Alava, more precisely in the square where the Town Hall is located.” The Civil Guard also organized a demonstration in Bilbao and the National Police also took to the streets of Bilbao and Vitoria, throughout 2024.
According to EH Bildu, this announcement aims to “attempt to normalize and whitewash” the armed institute which, “as indicated in official reports from the Basque and Navarrese governments, was the main responsible for torture in Euskal Herria, with thousands of victims. » It is for this reason that he wanted to affirm “unequivocally” that it is “absolutely unacceptable that we try to whitewash torture and that we praise the Civil Guard, thus humiliating its thousands of victims” .
“It is strange, but not surprising, that human rights defenders have said nothing about this, although it is extremely strange that this fact apparently has the approval and complicity of the municipal government,” he added. The pro-sovereignty formation assures that this support does not “surprise them so much” if it comes from the PSE-EE, “which even went so far as to deny the report on torture produced by the executive of Iñigo Urkullu which they were part of it”, but he does so from the PNV, “member of this local government” in a municipal council in which EH Bildu “is the first force”.
For this reason, EH Bildu wanted to show its “clear opposition” to this “military demonstration of Spanish nationalism” and to the “attempt to whitewash and glorify torture”. “It is unacceptable to whitewash torture and humiliate its victims,” he added. It is for this reason that he warned that the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Hall and its government “must reconsider their position”. “On October 12, the Spanish national holiday, we Basques have nothing to celebrate,” he concluded.
