Basque separatists ETA have thrown down the gauntlet to Spain's new Socialist government with a series of bombs in tourist resorts ahead of a crucial period for talks between Madrid and the restive region.
By detonating four small bombs in less than a week, ETA hopes to influence a forthcoming debate on the Basque region's future by proving the group is still a threat despite scores of high-profile arrests, analysts said. "This is a desperate attempt to win a place at the negotiating table," said Charles Powell, deputy director of the Real Instituto Elcano, a Madrid thinktank. "But I'm not sure it will work.
"All evidence suggests ETA is in serious trouble as far as recruiting and financing is concerned."
The latest bombs exploded in the popular northern holiday resorts of Santander and Gijon on Thursday, injuring two people.
The attacks on Spain's thriving tourist industry show ETA has not abandoned violence despite public fury over the March 11 train bombs by Islamic radicals in Madrid, which killed 191 people.