The March, organized by anti-militarist, environmentalist and internationalist groups in Bizkaia, has had two main objectives: on the one hand, “to denounce the growing involvement of the institutions with Basque companies in this sector, but also “to demand that military production become civilian production and that arms trafficking cease”.

According to the ongoing bicycle organizers, the Basque Government grants a subsidy of around EUR 100 million for the military industry, particularly in relation to the aeronautical sector, as is the case with ITP Aero, a subsidiary company in Barakaldo, and the CAV certifies EUR 600 million each year through the military industry. In fact, Euskadi is the third community to bill more in the Spanish state, behind Madrid and Andalusia, according to the organizers of the March.

Firearms used against the people of Yemen

“A hundred companies are involved in Basque military production and 80% of the production goes to Saudi Arabia, which uses these weapons against the people of Yemen,” said the members of the March.

Delàs has analysed the relationship between banking and the arms industry for another year, and according to El Salton, international banks have allocated USD 607.0000 billion to companies that have sold arms to the armies of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This amount was channelled in the years 2015-2019, when Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates attacked Yemeni citizens. Among the European banks referred to are Deutsche Bank, Barclays, BNP Paribas, Bankinter, Sabadell and Bankia, among others. And the two largest banks in the Spanish state, BBVA and the Banco Santander, have financed these companies with 5,321 million dollars, according to the study by Delàs.