Tribute to Terra Lliure (1979-1995)

Terra Lliure (meaning "Free Land" in Catalan) was a leftist and Catalan nationalist separatist armed group. It was considered a terrorist group by the Spanish government. It was formed in 1979 and disbanded in 1995.

Goals of Terra Lliure

- The self-determination of the "Catalan Countries", leading to their independence from Spain and France.
- The defense of the Catalan language.
- The defense of the working class against capitalism.

History of Terra Lliure

Most of Terra Lliure's original members converged into the group around 1980 from other organizations such as EPOCA (Popular Catalan Army), FAC (Catalan Liberation Front), PSAN(Socialist Party of National Liberation), IPC (Catalan Countries' Independence), or the JERC (Youth of the Republican Left of Catalonia).

Terra Lliure published its first statement, "Free Land Calling", on June 24, 1981, after the 23-F (February 23) coup attempt popularly called the Tejerazo. The document was distributed to the public during a mass meeting organized by La Crida a la Solidaritat ("Call to Solidarity") at the FC Barcelona stadium. Next May the group kidnapped the then Socialist activist, journalist Federico Jiménez Losantos, who was shot in the leg then set free. He was targeted due to his signing a manifesto supporting the right to Spanish language education in Catalonia.

Martí Marcó i Bardella, who was shot at a police checkpoint on January 26, 1979, was the first Terra Lliure member to die; he was 19 years old. On June 2 of the same year, Fèlix Goñi "Bruc" died while transporting a bomb. In 1984 Josep Antoni Villaescusa died while making an explosive device in Alzira. In December 1985 Quim Sánchez also died when an explosive device went off.

Between the years 1981 and 1984 Terra Lliure attempted to gain the sympathy of the Catalan working class while trying to obtain an important role in Catalan society and politics. In this period the organization targeted television antennas, French or Spanish business interests, the Spanish police and army (e.g. a bomb against the Banyoles barracks) as well as what the organization considered Spanish symbols like the Borges Blanques Court of Justice. In this last attack Terra Lliure committed the only killing in its history (a civilian woman died after being smashed by a wall that fell due to the explosion); something that they later admitted was a serious error.

During the years 1984-1989 some of Terra Lliure's leaders were arrested; nevertheless the group maintained its structure and capacities, and two satellite groups were developed: the CSPC (Solidarity Committee with the Catalan Patriots) and the MDT (Movement for the Defense of the Land).

In summer 1988, Terra Lliure held its III Assembly and developed three documents to describe the theoretical framework and analyze the social reality of the National Liberation Movement. However, due to the deep inner crisis (of the MDT and other sub-groups) Terra Lliure's strength began to fade away. Pere Bascompte, a founding member of the organization, declared to the media that the group was in the process of being disbanded.

In 1992 the so-called anti-terrorist Operación Garzón arrested sixty people for collaboration with or pertaining to the band.

In September 1995, after a few years of inactivity, the group announced its definitive disbanding.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• terra
• lliure
• paisos
• catalans
• catalunya
• pais
• valencia
• illes
• balears
• mcan
• terrorisme
• eta
• euskal
• herria
• euskadi
• spain

[torosalvajebcn]

Visca la Vall D`Aran Independent. No som catalans, som Aranesos. Aneu a pastar fang catalans del collons.

[coconut1983pc]

@torosalvajebcn

Què dius, fill de puta?? La Val d'Aran (escrit en aranès, que tu no en tens NI IDEA) no és catalana, és OCCITANA, per tant tampoc pot ser independent. I tu dius que ets aranès? Tu el que ets és una fill de puta espanyol, la teva mare una puta rata i el teu pare és un pallasso, tros de desgraciat. Em cago en la teva puta àvia, gos espanyol.

[joweeconw]

TERRA LLIURE ENCARA VIU! SEMPRE AL NOSTRES ACTES I AL NOSTRE COR!!!!

terra lliure x catalunya!

POBLE ARMANT POBLE RESPECTAT!

[COMBATELFEIXISME]

Jo crec que si algun grup comencés a moure's i a crear una banda com Terra Lliure, bastanta gent s'hi afegiria. Ja que tenim perdut el camí polític, agafem les armes!

VISCA TERRA LLIURE!

pd: s'hauria de ser més selectiu amb els objectius, menys civils catalans però més representants d'aquesta "democràcia"!

[PVLcat]

Glòria als herois de la pàtria! Fora de les forces d'ocupació!

[yavieneelsol]

Por encima de todas las banderas y de todas las ideologías esta el profundo respeto que todos debemos tener por la vida humana. No a la violencia, no apoyes movimientos terroristas. ¡Asco de nacionalismos clasistas!

[arnausky]

@torosalvajebcn Catalans dels collons? No ho entenc. Jo sóc català a mort i et faré una pregunta. A cas hem volgut fer-hos desaparèixer? A cas hem volgut eliminar la vostra llengua? Tan malament esteu com a catalans? Un tracte tant nafast heu rebut?

Nosaltres si que ens podem queixar dels putos espanyols!!! però no trobo motiu de queixa dels aranesos respecte al tracte dels catalans!!! El que no vull per Catalunya no ho vull per la Val d'Aran!!!

Si volem que ens respectin, respectarem ||*||

[fillfucker]

@redjonieboy t'acompanyo a matar aquest xarnego fill de puta

[torosalvajebcn]

@fillfucker a la patera li donen pel cul a la puta de la teva mare, i mira si li agrada que no para de demanar que li donin mes i quan ja no li càpiga mes tu pots agafar el torn.

[fillfucker]

@torosalvajebcn xarnego fill de puta,com toquis els collons et fotrem en la patera amb la que vas arribar aquí

[torosalvajebcn]

@redjonieboy jajajajaja, em cago en la teva puta mare, aquella meuca que et va cagar pel cul.

[brrt2]

com es diu la canço?