He demands that he end the ‘ongi etorri’ “who only manage to reopen painful wounds”
The government delegate in the Basque Country, Denis Itxaso, has asked the general manager of EH Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, to accompany his “displays of empathy” towards the victims with “a sincere political reflection, which recognizes the totalitarian nature” of the project of ETA «. In addition, he has warned him that it is necessary to »end the ‘ongi etorri’, who only manage to reopen painful wounds«.
The representative of the central government in Euskadi has referred in this way, in statements to Euskadi Irratia, to the statement read by the coordinator of EH Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, in which he expressed “from the heart” his “regret” for the suffering caused to ETA victims and assured that this pain “should never have occurred.”
For Itxaso, Otegi’s statements represent “a step, and an important step, fundamentally because they show an empathy towards the victims that, from that world, has traditionally been difficult to express.”
As he added, the Government “hopes that these statements are translated into facts.” “Facts that truly contribute to healing wounds and that are therapeutic for the victims,” he pointed out.
In his opinion, “it would not be understood that they continue to hold public receptions and tributes to those who caused so much pain when they are released from prison.” “Showing empathy towards the victims means ending those practices that only manage to reopen painful wounds,” he added.
Empathy
Denis Itxaso considers that “the displays of empathy should be accompanied by a reflection of a political nature”, specifically “a sincere political reflection that recognizes the totalitarian nature of a project such as that of ETA that exterminated the political dissident”.
“Pluralism in democracy is essential and ETA fought it with from the first to the last of its days,” said the Government delegate.
Otegi says that the nationalist left has made “a qualitative leap”
The coordinator of EH Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, has defended that the pro-independence left has taken “a qualitative leap” with the statement this Monday and has said that he does not understand that the lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu and the PNV are “angry when your country is very happy ». Likewise, he stated that this step has been taken “now because it was time” and has admitted that “not everyone agrees at our house either” because they think that “we give a lot and others don’t give anything”.
In an interview with Catalunya Radio, picked up by Europa Press, Otegi has spoken in this way after the statement made public this past Monday by EH Bildu and Sortu in which he addressed the victims of ETA to tell them that they feel «enormously their suffering “and promised to” try to mitigate it to the best of our ability. ”
The leader of EH Bildu stressed that “yesterday it was confirmed once again that there was a constructive position, a qualitative leap on the part of the pro-independence left that has made people happy in the country and that numerous victims of armed violence from ETA have spoken positively, which has resulted in favorable statements from the PSOE, people from Podemos, government ministers, international organizations and bodies dedicated to conflict resolution, and the European press.
«And then, on the other side, there have been those who have been very angry with the initiative. There is Vox, the PP and the Lehendakari have joined the side of the angry, “lamented Arnaldo Otegi, who said he did not understand the” anger “on the part of the Lehendakari and the PNV” when your country is very happy. ”
After regretting that there was “a kind of very pronounced wax plugs in certain sectors that have an interest in distorting the things that the pro-independence left says or not listening to them,” he stressed that now there has been “a qualitative leap in the framework in which we have done it, in the context in which we have done it and we have introduced concepts and words that we had not used.
Otegi explained that it has been done now “because we had to do now” and stressed that “these things are difficult to do” because it takes “a lot of internal work” and “not everyone agrees with what has been done at home. “, Since there are” people who have doubts and who sometimes think that we give a lot and others do not give anything. ”
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