The Conceyu Nacionalista Astur and the delegitimization of nationalist violence in post-Franco Asturias, 1976–82

Abstract

In the brief period after the 1975 death of Francisco Franco and the consolidation of the new constitutional order in the early 1980s, a group of radicals attempted to transform a weak, but developing, nationalist movement in Asturias into an armed struggle. During the summer of 1979, these militants seized control of a small nationalist party, the Conceyu Nacionalista Astur (CNA), then concerned principally with the revival of the local language. Aided by the Basque group ETA (político-militar), the CNA began a series of armed robberies. The subsequent arrest of six Asturians and the public exposure of the link between Asturian and Basque nationalism caused a widespread delegitimization of violent tactics, steering most Asturianistas towards more moderate methods in their pursuit of change. The literature on nationalism focuses on cases that developed sustained conflicts, but it is equally important to understand why other movements largely rejected the use of arms.