Resistência Galega
Encyclopedia
Resistência Galega sometimes referred to as REGA, is the term used by a series of left-wing
and Galician separatist
organizations and individuals to claim attacks in the northern region of Spain
. The term was first used in 2005 when a manifest named Manifesto da Resistência Galega appeared on the Internet. Since then, Resistência Galega has carried out dozens of attacks against political party's offices and banks across Galicia.
, "Liga Armada Galega" or "Exército Guerrilheiro do Povo Galego Ceive". The organisation was reportedly created by the Assembleia da Mocidade Independentista (Assembly of Independentist Youth) in 2005 and it became known to the public with a manifesto published on the Internet on November 20 of that same year. In it, several attacks against political party offices, the Spanish Army
, and incidents which occurred during the Prestige oil spill
crisis were claimed.
According to Spanish police
, the group has three active cells with each one consisting of four members. Two of them based in the cities of Santiago and Vigo, and another one moving around Galicia. The group also has around 200 sympathizers and supporters. Its leader is suspected to be Antonio García Matos, former member of the extinct organization "Exército Guerrilheiro". Also known as "Toninho", he was arrested in November 2005 and was soon released, being on the run since then. He is believed to be hiding in Portugal, from where he orders the organisation's attacks. There have also been reported contacts with ETA
and other Catalan
small organizations. Some activists have reportedly being trained in the mountains in rural Galicia. In October 2010, it was announced that the Spanish High Court
would designate Resistência Galega as a terrorist group, comparing the group with other armed organizations in Spain, such as ETA. Following a petrol bomb attack on January 2011, authorities labelled the incident as a "terrorist attack" and announced that the High Court would take part in the investigation, as a "case of terrorism".
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
and Galician separatist
Galician nationalism
Galician nationalism is a political movement arguing for the recognition of Galicia as a nation. The political movement referred to as modern Galician nationalism was born at the beginning of the twentieth century from the idea of Galicianism.- Ideology :...
organizations and individuals to claim attacks in the northern region of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The term was first used in 2005 when a manifest named Manifesto da Resistência Galega appeared on the Internet. Since then, Resistência Galega has carried out dozens of attacks against political party's offices and banks across Galicia.
Overview
Resistência Galega is the continuation of several Galician separatist groups active in the 1970s and 80s such as the Loita Armada RevolucionariaLoita Armada Revolucionaria
Loita Armada Revolucionaria was an armed Galician nationalist and left-wing separatist organisation. Linked to the political party Partido Galego do Proletariado and the organization Galicia Ceibe, the group was formed in 1978 and carried out several attacks around Galicia, such as bank assaults...
, "Liga Armada Galega" or "Exército Guerrilheiro do Povo Galego Ceive". The organisation was reportedly created by the Assembleia da Mocidade Independentista (Assembly of Independentist Youth) in 2005 and it became known to the public with a manifesto published on the Internet on November 20 of that same year. In it, several attacks against political party offices, the Spanish Army
Spanish Army
The Spanish Army is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies - dating back to the 15th century.-Introduction:...
, and incidents which occurred during the Prestige oil spill
Prestige oil spill
The Prestige oil spill was an oil spill off the coast of Galicia caused by the sinking of an oil tanker in 2002. The spill polluted thousands of kilometers of coastline and more than one thousand beaches on the Spanish, French and Portuguese coast, as well as causing great harm to the local fishing...
crisis were claimed.
According to Spanish police
Law enforcement in Spain
Law enforcement in Spain is carried out by numerous organizations, not all of which operate in the same areas.- National :*Guardia Civil - Civil Guard*Policía Nacional - National Police*Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera - Customs Service- Regional :...
, the group has three active cells with each one consisting of four members. Two of them based in the cities of Santiago and Vigo, and another one moving around Galicia. The group also has around 200 sympathizers and supporters. Its leader is suspected to be Antonio García Matos, former member of the extinct organization "Exército Guerrilheiro". Also known as "Toninho", he was arrested in November 2005 and was soon released, being on the run since then. He is believed to be hiding in Portugal, from where he orders the organisation's attacks. There have also been reported contacts with ETA
ETA
ETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
and other Catalan
Catalan independentism
Catalan independentism is a political movement, derived from Catalan nationalism, which supports the independence of Catalonia or the so-called Catalan countries from Spain and France...
small organizations. Some activists have reportedly being trained in the mountains in rural Galicia. In October 2010, it was announced that the Spanish High Court
Audiencia Nacional of Spain
The Audiencia Nacional is a a special and exceptional high court in Spain. It has its seat in Madrid and jurisdiction over all of Spain and international crimes which come under the competence of Spanish courts....
would designate Resistência Galega as a terrorist group, comparing the group with other armed organizations in Spain, such as ETA. Following a petrol bomb attack on January 2011, authorities labelled the incident as a "terrorist attack" and announced that the High Court would take part in the investigation, as a "case of terrorism".
2005
- July 23: On the eve of the National Day of GaliciaDía Nacional de GaliciaDia Nacional de Galicia is when the Nation of Galicia celebrates its national holiday. It falls on the 25th of July....
, Resistência Galega commits its first attack by planting a bomb in a bank office in Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
.
2007
- March 27: Police officers safely defuse a bomb placed in a construction site in NigránNigránNigrán is a municipality of Galicia, Spain in the province of Pontevedra, near Vigo, the most important town in Galicia.- External links :******...
, PontevedraPontevedra (province)Pontevedra is a province of Spain along the country's Atlantic coast in southwestern Europe. The province forms the southwestern part of the autonomous community of Galicia...
. - May 9: Police officers safely detonate a bomb placed in a construction site in Cangas do Morrazo, Pontevedra.
- May 15: A bomb explodes in an industrial park in O Ceao, LugoLugo (province)Lugo is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northeastern part of the autonomous community of Galicia. It is bordered by the provinces of Ourense, Pontevedra, and A Coruña, the principality of Asturias, the State of León, and in the north by the Cantabrian Sea .The population is 356,595 , of...
. No one was injured in the attack, which heavily damaged the building. - September 25: A bomb explodes in MugardosMugardosMugardos is a small fishing borough and municipality in Ferrolterra, located in the province of A Coruña in Galicia, northwestern Spain.-Climate:...
, A Coruña. No one was injured in the attack, which destroyed two houses. - November 15: A powerful bomb destroys an estate agency in Cangas do Morrazo, Pontevedra. No one was injured.
2008
- February 8: A bomb explodes in a construction company building in Perbes, A CoruñaA CoruñaA Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
. No one was injured.
2009
- June 16: A bomb explodes in a bank in Vigo. No one was injured. Another bomb went off at a businessman's house in BeaseBeade, OurenseBeade is a small municipality in Ourense in the Galicia region of north-west Spain....
and an arson fire was set in a car dealership in Priegue, PontevedraPontevedraPontevedra is a city in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula. It is the capital of both the comarca and province of Pontevedra, in Galicia . It is also the capital of its own municipality which is, in fact, often considered as an extension of the actual city...
. - July 9: An explosive device destroys a bank office in Cangas do Morrazo, Pontevedra. No one was injured.
- July 23: A bomb placed in front of a bank office in Vigo is safely exploded by police.
2010
- January 1: Two explosive devices placed under two local police patrol cars go off in Santiago. No one was injured.
- January 28: An explosive device goes off in the house of professorProfessorA professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Blanco Valdés in Santiago de Compostela. No one was injured. - April 19: A petrol bomb is thrown at the People's PartyPeople's Party (Spain)The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
office in Nigrán, Pontevedra. No one was injured. - July 20: A bomb goes off in an employer's organization office in Vigo. The bomb caused great damage to the building, but no one was injured.
- July 26: A homemade bomb explodes in front of the house of judgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Míguez Poza in Santiago de Compostela. No one was injured. - September 16: A bomb explodes in a Socialist Party office in A EstradaA EstradaA Estrada is a municipality of the Pontevedra province in Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is located some 15 miles southeast of Santiago de Compostela. A Estrada is the chief town of a densely-populated mountainous district; its industries are agriculture, stockbreeding, and the manufacture of...
. No one was injured in the attack, which damaged the office building. - September 27: A small bomb explodes in front of an employers' organization in LugoLugoLugo is a city in northwestern Spain, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 97,635 in 2010, which makes is the fourth most populated city in Galicia.-Population:...
, causing damage to the building. No one was injured. - September 28: An explosive device goes off in a Socialist Party office in Salceda de CaselasSalceda de CaselasSalceda de Caselas is a municipality in Galicia, Spain, in the province of Pontevedra. It is bordered to the north by the municipality of Ponteareas, to the west by the municipality of Salvaterra de Miño, to the east by the municipality of Tui, and to the south by Porriño.Francisco Estévez, father...
, Pontevedra. No one was injured. Hours later, another Socialist office was attacked in Salvaterra do Miño. - December 25: A bomb explodes in a Socialist Party office in Teo, A CoruñaTeo, A CoruñaTeo is a municipality in the Spanish province of A Coruña. It has a population of 15476 and an area of 79 km²....
. No one was injured.
2011
- January 4: Four petrol bombs are thrown at a Socialist Party office in BetanzosBetanzosBetanzos is a municipality in Galicia, Spain, in the Province of A Coruña. In Roman times Betanzos was called Carunium or Brigantium. During the Medieval period the settlement was known as Carunio....
, A Coruña. No one was injured. - January 18: Two petrol bombs are thrown at a Socialist Party office in CarralCarralCarral is a municipality of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It has an area of 48 km², a population of 5453 and a population density of 113.6 people/km²-External links:*...
, A Coruña. No one was injured. - January 27: As part of a general strike in Galicia, a molotov cocktail is thrown at a bank in Vigo. Three individuals were arrested and later released.
- January 28: Galician Nationalist Bloc and Socialist Party offices are stoned in Negreira and Santiago.
- February 1: An explosive device, planted in solidarity with GreekConspiracy of Fire NucleiThe Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei is a radical anarchist organization based in Greece. SPF first surfaced on January 21, 2008 with a wave of 11 firebombings against luxury car dealerships and banks in Athens and Thessaloniki...
and ChileanChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
anarchistAnarchismAnarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
prisoners, goes off at a courthouse in Betanzos, A Coruña. - February 9: A petrol bomb is thrown at the Unión General de TrabajadoresUnión General de TrabajadoresThe Unión General de Trabajadores is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party .-History:...
(UGT) trade union office in A Coruña. - February 10: An explosive device fails to explode in front of a bank office in Vigo. No one was injured.
- March 9: A bomb explodes at the former house of the Santiago de Compostela mayor. No one was injured.
- June 13: A bomb explodes in front of a PP office in OrdesOrdesOrdes is a municipality of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia.-External links:*...
, destroying the office and damaging cars and buildings. No one was injured.