The image of the return to the past has spread in many places as a result of the operation against Herrira carried out by the Spanish National Court. The truth is that the photo reflected that: the pride of the civil guards, the detainees, the aggressions of the Ertzaintza, the institutional statements, the great demonstration in Bilbao…

The past is one of the images that have been disseminated through different institutions, parties and media. Spokespersons for the Basque Government and the PNV Josu Erkoreka and Koldo Mediavilla also underlined these ideas, the first to the hours of detention and the second in the article “The temptations of the past” (Deia, 5-10-2013). Mediavilla believes that the Spanish Government and the Abertzale left are tempted to return to the past and that they have to avoid it.

Fortunately, there is no return to the past, and there will not be, at least in the previous scheme. And not because the government of Spain and pp do not want to. It will not be because the Abertzale left itself does not want it, because the decision to abandon the armed struggle is irreversible and, in spite of everything, it is trying to build a peace process. He managed to get rid of the enormous stone of the armed struggle and, despite the fact that today he has many burdens of the time, mainly of the prisoners, the situation to face the challenge is a thousand times better than in the era of weapons.

The PP is the only actor that seems embedded in the past: there is no movement and wood. And yet, in the current raid, there have been some signs: no incommunication with the lawyer of trust before the judge; no torture and ill-treatment; and 10 out of 14 detainees in unconditional release. They are not data to congratulate anyone, but they are eye-catching and therefore remarkable.

And why? That is the big question that revolves around everyone. Former director of the News Group Pablo Muñoz has launched his main reason in his article on Sunday of Deia, which states that the ruling against the Parot doctrine will be ratified: “Moncloa already has data on what is being held in Strasbourg and in the legal field it is almost for sure given, ruling against the Spanish Government’s appeal against the European Court of Human Rights’s rejection of the so-called Parot doctrine in July 2012.”

In Muñoz's analysis, the pp aims to anticipate the campaign that the most reactionary sectors of Spain will begin when the sentence begins the release of prisoners. If this were the case, the Spanish Government would not lack a hard picture, as in addition to the Herrira raid, the macro-judgments of Segi and Herriko Tabernas will begin next week.

Luis R. was used to walking in the halls of the Moncloa with the PSOE. Aizpeolea puts on the table another vision (El País, 5-10-2013): that of the illegalizations. In his opinion, the Abertzale left "is afraid" that this is a prelude to the illegalization of the Sortu and therefore has responded so strongly to the demonstration.

What evidence of reality can this hypothesis have? Although we are accustomed to everything with pp and the National Audience, one thing is that pp does not open the doors to new situations, and another that takes a giant step in the illegalization of sortu. It does not appear to be in a position to act so awkwardly, without ETA being in action – let alone disappearing – because what it can receive is more damage than a benefit, especially at international level and in the Basque Country. In Spain, however, if many of its citizens are concerned about something, it is not with Euskal Herria and with ETA, but with Catalonia.

In fact, and making Machiavelli, if this type of operation did not produce so much suffering and damage, the Abertzale left would have to ask two or three times a year, because it would strengthen it, because they put the PNV in an uncomfortable position and, thanks to the Civil Guard, they perfectly reflect the violent position in Madrid.

The joint declarations made by the PNV and Bildu in the Basque Parliament and in other institutions have also been noted. And it has also been significant that lehendakari Urkullu has given his opinion on this new imposition and collective repulsion of rights to 18 citizens of Basque society. Lehendakari has a difficult and delicate position, even more so in this time of pacts, but, if you like, diplomacy gives you the opportunity for more.