It has been two and a half years since Statkraft announced its intention to install 8 wind turbines of 200 meters in Durakogai, Gamborralde, in the Sierra de Asensiomendi. Along with this, the project foresaw the crossing of the valley by a 14-kilometer high-voltage line to transport the electricity produced at the plant to the Atxondo substation.

Although the data can help to represent the dimension of the project, there are other aspects that are not so easy to measure: how much does the mountain cost? How many rural areas? How much is the effort of the people who want to live in it worth? How many native fauna and ecosystems? In the town of Aramaio, as in many towns of the Basque Country and the rest of the world, we know that projects like this cause wounds and pains that are not included in the numbers, the cement structure of the AVE reminds us of this every day.

From Aramaixo Bizirik we value very positively the latest ministerial resolution. This is encouraging news and we hope that it will be an important milestone in the face of the other macro-projects that are being proposed around us. Likewise, this resolution clearly shows that the tireless work of citizens and collectives dedicated to the defense of the land can lead to significant results.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the people of Aramaio and the Municipal Government, as we are clear that the opposition to the project has played an important role. Many Aramaios participated in the deliberative process on energy and specifically on the central “Itsaraz” and based on the conclusions of this process, the City Council filed a motion against the project. This motion was widely supported by citizen signatures.

We do not forget the support that other groups and collectives have offered us at all times during this time. We would like you to consider it as if it were your victory and also that of every single individual who has come together to sign allegations against the project.

Reading and reflections

Capitalism exploits nature, bodies, lives... and mutates itself from crisis to crisis. Assimilate words and fabricate beliefs and desires. Now in the name of “renewable energies” a wave of projects is spreading here and there and the model is repeated over and over again: the privatization of nature, the industrialization of mountain and rural areas, the consequent reduction of the possibilities of food production and the loss of biodiversity, the anti-democratic nature of the projects, which are set against the will of society.

These are turbulent times in which the people, the people, have to decide in which direction to go. Basque society must tackle radical issues from the bottom up, because the question of energy is the question of life. If we do not reflect on this, the formulas of capitalism will be imposed on us again and again.

Returning to the ministerial resolution, it makes clear the contradictory and worrying attitude shown by the Environmental Departments of the Provincial Councils of Álava and Bizkaia in the management of an area such as the Urkiola Natural Park. While Bizkaia has released two negative reports, Arabakoa is ready to give the green light to the project. We therefore call on the Department of the Environment of the Provincial Council of Álava to act more rigorously on the macro-projects that it will have to evaluate from now on and assume responsibility for the preservation of the territory of Álava. It is striking that in Madrid we have a higher level of awareness of the protection of our mountains and fauna than in Álava itself.

We also call on individuals, companies and parties who have accused us of nimby (“not in my garden”) behavior and tried to impose the project to give us a deep reflection. It is unacceptable and salutable, for example, that the Krean cooperative of the Mondragon Group, contrary to the word of the people and even before obtaining an environmental permit, has advanced the procedure of signing rental agreements with landowners and has begun to put pressure on them. This type of behavior has shown us that the new model of social inclusion proposed by macroprojects is a farce and completely calls into question the democratic participation that has been so highly praised in this particular case. The behaviour of the Norwegian company Statkraft has, after all, been the same as that of any other multinational company.

The challenges of the future

The Renewable Energy PTS (Sectoral Territorial Plan) is about to be adopted in Parliament, but its obvious shortcomings and contradictions have again been revealed by this resolution. For example, in a number of areas considered eligible for wind energy exploitation in the context of PTS, the Ministry’s resolution has made it clear that wind power plants should not be built. One of these areas is Mount Jarindo, which is located in our own village. For this reason, we demand that the approval of the PTS be suspended and we invite all political parties to begin a thorough elaboration once and for all.

Aramaixo Day of Life and call for demonstrations

We will continue to fight for the defense of our country and the mountains, for a dignified
life in the countryside and for a stimulating Aramaio.

You are all invited to attend the Aramaixo Day of Life, which will be celebrated on February 15. We have prepared a full day program, created in collaboration with agents from all over the country, which in addition to being a day of proclamation, has now become a day of celebration.

On the other hand, we call to join the demonstrations that will be organized on February 1 in Pamplona and March 22 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, to denounce the criminalization of popular movements and to proclaim loudly that the Basque Country is not for sale.

Long live in Aramaixo! Long live the village!