1980s 1990s 2000s A van bomb went off on 19 May 2008 outside a boat club in the town of Getxo, Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain.

On 22 January 2001, Ertzaintza members deactivated a car bomb and judge Jose Maria Lidón Corbi was shot dead on 7 November.

[8] In mid 2006, the organisation declared a ceasefire, and conversations between Batasuna, ETA and the Basque and Spanish governments started.

Peace talks ended in December, when ETA broke the truce with a massive car bomb at Madrid-Barajas Airport.

[9][10] The car was the property of a company owned by a former member of ETA, Xabier Izko de la Iglesia, who had been sentenced in the 1970 Burgos trial.

The explosive device had been obtained in the town of Ezcaray, La Rioja and was similar to an abandoned bomb found in Getxo on 31 January 2008.

Most of the political parties also condemned the attack, with Aralar stating that "ETA is an obstacle towards the peace that Euskal Herria (Basque Country) demands".

[11] On 22 July 2008, the Civil Guard dismantled the Biscay cell, with the arrest of nine members of ETA, including Goikoetxea.

Most of the arrests were made in Bilbao, Getxo and Elorrio, while two other people were held in Fuengirola, Málaga and in Nigran, Pontevedra.The operation, which was led by judge Baltasar Garzón, also ended with the arrest of Gaizka Jareño Ugarriza, Adur Aristegi Aragon, Iñigo Gutierrez, Aitor Kotano Sinde, Libe Agirre Mazaga, Maialen Zuazo y Ana Isabel Prieto Fundarena.

[16] Aitor Artetxe was another cell member on the run until he was arrested in the French town of Gerde, Hautes-Pyrénées on 8 December 2008.

On the same operation, head of the military commandos Aitzol Iriondo was also arrested, as well as another senior member of ETA, Eneko Zarrabeitia Salterain.