A Basque group has organized a letter writing campaign to University President John J. DeGioia to rescind a teaching position offered to former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who is joining the Georgetown faculty this fall.
Aznar, who led the Spanish government from 1996-2004, will teach seminars on contemporary European politics and transatlantic relationships as a Distinguished Scholar in the Practice of Global Leadership.
DeGioia announced Aznar’s appointment in April and said that the former head of state’s campus involvement would “enhance the work of our students and faculty in invaluable ways.”
The California-based International Basque Organization for Human Rights (IBO) issued a statement in late June asking the university not to hire Aznar.
“Aznar and his political party, Partido Popular, have been responsible for many human and civil rights violations in the Basque region. Manipulation and censorship of the press were frequent and blatantly used under Mr. Aznar’s term,” the group said in an open letter to DeGioia. “We urge you to look into these matters and be aware of Mr. Aznar’s particular brand of politics that will be taught to your students and faculty.” They asked supporters to copy the letter and forward it to DeGioia and The Hoya .
The group cited the 2003 closure of the Basque language newspaper Egunkaria by Aznar’s government. The director and several reporters for Egunkaria were also arrested and accused of maintaining links with the Basque nationalist terrorist group Euskadi ta Askatasuna, or ETA.
Cathleen Acheritogaray, a co-director of IBO, said that the newspaper, its director and the reporters were “peacefully contributing to the building of a Basque nation” and had no links with ETA. “He lumps them all together,” she said.
Acheritogaray wrote in a different letter to DeGioia, “Clearly governments, or their representatives, which engage in repression of freedom of speech and torture have no place lecturing or molding future politicians, ambassadors, foreign service officers or others who will represent this country both at home and abroad.”
University spokeswoman Julie Bataille was unaware of any organized effort opposing the university’s hiring of Aznar, but said, “Occasionally we hear from people expressing their views about a particular issue such as this but Georgetown is still looking forward to having former President Aznar on campus as planned.”
Acheritogaray said that she was not surprised by the university’s response considering Georgetown ‘s historical relationship with the Spanish government and monarchy. Aznar visited Georgetown several times during his tenure as Prime inister and his foreign minister, Ana Palacio, visited last December. The Crown Prince of Spain, Felipe de Borbon y Grecia (MSFS ’95), is a Georgetown alumnus and in 1999 inaugurated the Prince of Asturias Chair of Spanish Studies in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.
IBO representative Alex Eguia-lis said that the university’s response reflects less a commitment to human rights and more a desire to market the university. “It’s a marketing ploy,” he said.
Founded in 2003, the IBO is an organization comprised of Basques, Basque descendants and Basque sympathizers concentrated in the United States . It officially condemns all acts of terrorism committed in the Basque territory but aims to support the national ambitions of the region.
