Spain mourns suspected ETA victim

Protesters in Vitoria hold signs that read: "Enough, ETA Stop"

MADRID, Spain (Reuters) -- Tens of thousands of Spaniards stopped work and observed a few minutes silence on Monday to honour the latest suspected victim of Basque separatist violence.

Maximo Casado Carrera, a 44-year-old prison official, was killed on Sunday in the Basque capital Vitoria when a bomb under his car exploded in the 16th attack blamed on ETA Basque separatists this year.

VIDEO CNN's Brian Nelson reports on the bombing Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    IN-DEPTH Basque conflict: Violence in Spain   • Overview   • Living in fear   • Standing vigil   • ETA background   • Q&A on ETA   • ETA timeline   • Map: Violence   • Video archive   • Recent stories

Casado had been on his way to work at a jail where about 40 convicted members of ETA were imprisoned.

Spaniards nationwide, including Casado's colleagues in state prisons, stopped work at midday to protest against the latest killing. Demonstrations were planned later in the day.

The attack appeared to be a response to Saturday's march by tens of thousands of protesters in Bilbao, calling on ETA to give up its violent campaign for independence.

The rebels are suspected of killing about 800 people in a three-decade fight for a separate Basque nation incorporating parts of northern Spain and southern France.

This year's wave of killings has made it ETA's bloodiest year since 1992.

The group called off a 14-month ceasefire last year and is now the most active guerrilla group in Europe since a truce in Northern Ireland halted activity by the IRA.

The surge of attacks is believed to be an attempt to crack the conservative Spanish government's hardline stance towards Basque separatism and bring it back to the negotiating table after a single round of peace talks failed last year.

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Basque Autonomous Region
Association for Peace in Basque Country

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