Oriol Junqueras and Arnaldo Otegi met this Monday in San Sebastián. The meeting is not innocuous, but comes weeks after the debate about an understanding between the left-wing and pro-independence parties in the State has surfaced, especially in the wake of the proposal publicly defended by ERC spokesperson in Congress, Gabriel RufiánAn idea, that of forming a plurinational, left-wing coalition that could run in the next general elections, does not have the support of the Republicans' leadership nor that of EH Bildu. In a statement, both parties explain that in this morning's meeting they "analyzed the scenarios that could arise in the coming months" and that the objective was "to explore responses to the complicated and hopeless situation generated in the world and in Spain." However, they make no reference to the possibility of forming an electoral coalition as Rufián proposed and simply state that they will "always" collaborate so that their projects "are stronger and our countries are more just and free."

The Intxaurrondo barracks, headquarters of the Guipúzcoa Civil Guard Command, was known by the nickname the discotheque. And not because before the armed body was installed it was a leisure centre, but because the neighbours explained that they played music at full blast to avoid hearing the screams of the people being tortured.

The declaration made by the general coordinator of EH Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, on October 18 on behalf of the nationalist Basque left has an enormous historical significance for the Spanish political system. The fact that the nationalist left recognises the specific pain of the victims of ETA without making a general reference to the "victims of the conflict" and that it points out that this suffering should never have happened is unprecedented. It is a full-fledged self-criticism of the armed struggle, only 10 years after ETA laid down its arms.

Wednesday will mark 10 years since ETA laid down its arms. The nightmare of terrorist violence came to an end after 864 deaths and more than 3,000 attacks. Five decades of pain, most of it in democracy. Five decades of harsh social and ideological fracture in the Basque Country. The process of deactivating the terrorist group was slow, with many ups and downs, including the State's dirty war through death squads. It took a long time, but finally the nationalist left took the step, with Arnaldo Otegi, from prison, as a key figure in giving up violence and adopting the peaceful and democratic way. This Monday, Otegi, coinciding with this tenth anniversary, wanted to solemnise the anniversary with a new gesture of recognition towards the victims, which is also a self-criticism of historical importance: "We feel their pain: it should never have taken place". With these words, the historic Basque leader deepens the pro-independence Basque left mea culpa.

Ten years have passed since ETA announced its dissolution and the distance has allowed the Basque pro-independence left to gain perspective. This Monday, Arnaldo Otegi, one of the figureheads of the movement, has been clearer than he had been ever been in his message to the victims of the terrorist group: "We want to convey our sorrow and pain for their suffering. We feel their pain and from this sincere feeling we affirm that it should never have happened. No one can be satisfied that all that happened, nor that it went on for so long. We should have been able to get to Aiete earlier," he stressed. On October 17, 2011, in the Palace of Aiete, in San Sebastian, all Basque parties (except the PP), business associations, trade unions and international peace leaders met to agree on a statement urging the end of ETA, which would announce the definitive end of violence three days later.