View source for ETAs 2006 ceasefire declaration

ETA's 2006 "permanent ceasefire" was the period between 24 March and 30 December 2006. It was terminated as a result of the 2006 Madrid Barajas International Airport bombing. ETA had been briefly blamed for the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, but it soon became clear that the attack was the work of radical Islamists. The 2006 "ceasefire" was a period of heightened political tension in Spain. The strategic interests of the concerned political parties were often at the forefront of the discussions between ETA and the Spanish government. The militant group declared that the organization will "keep taking up arms until achieving "independence and socialism in the Basque country". The militant claimed that the past is not a thing of the past and that "the fight is present and the future is the fight for independence and socialism" The government (under the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) administration) displayed an optimistic and hopeful response to the announcement, although in official statements president Zapatero called for "prudence". The People's Party (headed by Mariano Rajoy) showed pessimism with regards to this announcement.