Santos Cerdan Negotiating for years with Er Beldo Condition of prisoners Expected time of arrival.
He did this almost prisoner by prisoner, to facilitate his transfer to the prisons in Basque country and Navarre.
This involvement, well known in his party, is reflected in UCO reports.
the protects civilian It includes a call dated January 21, 2021 in which Santos Cerdán speaks with the person in charge of penal institutions, Angel Luis OrtizAbout the transfer of a prisoner.
In the recording intercepted by agents, Cerdan said: “We got him on the 29th.”
On the same day, January 29, 2021, the Ministry of Interior reported Eta’s transfer Juan Ramon Carrasatori DzAlias shoesTo a prison near the Basque country.
Cerdan’s mediation work was essential for the PSOE to secure the support of E. H. Bildo in Congress.
king Arnaldo Otegi He admitted to his gunmen, in October 2021, that the key to supporting Sanchez was prisons: “If you have to vote on budgets to release 200 prisoners, you have to vote.”
“Five-a-week deal”
Four years later, Otegui’s words seem like a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Since the summer of 2020, ETA prisoner transfers have accelerated and become a continuous practice, almost every Friday.
Publicly, there is no recognized agreement between the government and Baldo on prison policy. Minister of Interior, Fernando Grande Marlaskadenied this in November 2020: “It is not an exchange and objectively it was seen.”
However, the reality of the data is different: in 2020 alone, the government brought in more ETA members than in the previous two years combined.
The PNV itself even called this convergence calendar the “five-a-week agreement.”
This was expressed by the spokesman for the Basque nationalists. Joseba EjibarIn 2021, when Bildou was exposed for supporting the central government while rejecting regional budgets.
This process, which began in 2020, reached its peak in March 2023. The Interior Ministry ended the prisoner dispersal policy, which was promoted by the Government of Sudan in 1989. Felipe Gonzalezand completed the transfer of almost all ETA members to prisons in Basque country and Navarre.
In all, about 175 inmates were transferred, some with histories of blood crimes.
A second stage is also added to the prisoners’ approach, which is a stage Third degrees.
Since Sánchez handed over prison management to the Basque government in 2021, the historic nationalist demand, BNF and PSOE – who govern in a coalition in the Basque Country – have given third-class status to 82 ETA prisoners, according to victims’ associations.
Photo with Beldo
In parallel, the political relationship between the Socialist Workers’ Party and Baldo was strengthened. After the 2023 elections, the first photo meeting was held between Sánchez, Santos Cerdán and the leaders of the Basque separatist movement.
This happened on Friday, October 13, in the House of Representatives.
This was not the first meeting between the Socialists and Beldo. This actually happened in 2019, but the level of dialogue changed on the part of the Socialist Workers Party.
At both meetings, representatives were Arnaldo Otegi Mertxy aizporua and Gorka Elijabarieta.
From the PSOE side, they attended in 2019 Adriana Lastra and Rafael Simancas. Four years later, Pedro Sanchez and Santos Cerdán did it.
The newspaper congratulated it, “because it is a delegation of the highest level.” Nayezthe digital newspaper of Gaaraa newspaper ideologically linked to Basque independence.
This was the first time that the Prime Minister met publicly with the heirs BatasunaThe political arm of ETA. The image confirmed that Bildu was indeed a fully assumed partner of the PSOE party.
It is worth highlighting the role ElijabaritaBeldo’s spokesman in the Senate and one of the leaders most involved in relations with the prisoner group.
It is not surprising that it was precisely he who defended Cerdán in the Senate investigative committee, supporting the lawfare thesis.
“There is nothing concrete against him, and it is possible that they are doing what they are doing to him because of the relationship he has as an interlocutor, among others, with E. H. Beldo,” he complained on November 6, during Sánchez’s appearance in the Senate.
“Time will put everything in its place.”