Galician independence

Supporters of Galician independence in 1991.

The Galician independence movement or the Galician separatist movent (Galician: independentismo galego) is a political movement, derived from Galician nationalism, which supports the independence of Galicia, Galicia and Galicia estremeira (As Portelas, O Bierzo e Terra Eo-Navia) or the unification with Portugal.

History

Initiation

The first realization was the organized political committee Comité Revoluzonareo Arredista Galego, formed by Fuco Gomez in Cuba in the 1920s, but during the Second Spanish Republic did not have much significance. In Argentina there was an association called Sociedade Nazonalista Pondal, active mostly in the 1930s.

Also in Galicia there was independence movement in the 1930s, as was the case of Vangarda Nazonalista Galega.

Republic of Galicia

In 1931, Galicia declares his independence for problems with the Spanish government with a great support of the Galician population. On day after his independence, Spain rectifies and Galicia joined again with Spain.

Franco and the 70s

Estreleira is the flag used since the 70s by the galician separatism and the galician nationalism.

In the 1970s, a sector of the Galician People's Union near of Moncho Reboiras tried to organize a terrorist group against Franco following the model of ETA, but ended with the death of Moncho Reboiras. In 1978, a sector of the Galician People's Union was split, constituting first the Galician People's Union-Proletarian Line and later the Galician Party of the Proletariat, with secessionist character.

Galician independentism at present

In 1986 the Communist Party of National Liberation, secessionist split of the Galician People's Union, was expelled from the BNG for having supported the candidacy of Herri Batasuna during the Elections to the European Parliament. Beside the Galiza Ceive-OLN (new name of the organization) and several secessionist groups, they formed the Galician People's Front to the following year, the main Galician secessionist organization since then.

In that context appeared the Exército Guerrilheiro do Povo Galego Ceive, which carried out 90 terrorist actions in six years, appeared the last one on 13 of September 1991. As consequence 2 activists, a civil guard and a girl died. Several dozens of supposed members were held.

Ten members of Assembleia da Mocidade Independentista and other groups were held in 2005 and two of them strong of placing a bomb in an automatic cash dispenser in Santiago of Compostela. That same year the existence of a group named Resistência Galega that itself has attributed several attacks with bombs of small size was made public.

The BNG and Anova-Nationalist Brotherhood, the two nationalistic and secessionist political parties have 15 of the 75 seats of the Galician Parliament.

Pro-independence public figures

• Xose Manuel Beiras, politician.
• Xosé Luís Méndez Ferrín, writer, candidate to the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1999, ex-president of the Royal Galician Academy and member of the Galician People's Front.
• José Ignacio Fernández Palacios, ex-football player.
• Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao, Galician politician, writer, painter and doctor.^[1]
• Camilo Nogueira Román, politician.
• Rosalia de Castro, Galician romanticist writer and poet.
• Ricardo Carvalho Calero, father of the reintegrationist movement, founder of the Galician Association of Language and writer.
• Uxío Novoneyra, poet, journalist and writer of children's literature.
• Teresa Moure, writer and feminist. She lectures in Linguistics at the University of Santiago de Compostela.
• Lois Pereiro, poet.
• Rafa Villar, writer, activist of the Nunca Máis movement^[2] and town councillor in Santiago de Compostela.
• Milladoiro, folk and Celtic music band from A Coruña.^[3]
• Ricardo Flores Peres, political activist.
• Martin Sheen, American actor.^[4]

See also

• Galician Nationalist Bloc
• Kingdom of Galicia
• Portugalicia

References