The 48 ETA Attacks in Alicante: 'They Sought to Target Tourism to Pressure the State'

48 attacks and five fatalities. These are the figures left by the terrorist group ETA in the province of Alicante between 1979 and 2005. Nearly 15 years after the group abandoned its armed struggle, the echo of its bombs seems to be fading. "I am surprised to learn that most students are unaware of ETA's history," explains Pablo Díaz Morlán, Professor of Economic History at the University of Alicante and promoter of the First International Conference on Economy and Terrorism, which will take place at the Alicante university this Wednesday.

The aim of these conferences is to delve into the financing systems of terrorist groups and their economic consequences. Regarding the latter, Morlán explains that the province of Alicante (and others like Málaga) became a frequent target for ETA attacks due to its tourism potential. "With their terrorist attacks, they sought to gain notoriety, which is why they chose tourist regions."

However, the impact of these terror campaigns barely affected the number of tourists visiting our province: "Except for some alerts published in the British press, their actions had little impact on tourism. It should be noted that ETA did not conduct in-depth analyses of the Spanish economy nor did they develop major strategic plans. They wanted to create noise as a form of pressure on the Spanish state."

The schedule for the conference this Wednesday will be from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM and from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, featuring renowned international experts such as Henry Patterson, Emeritus Professor of Irish Politics at the University of Ulster, who will speak about the IRA; Luca Storti, Associate Professor at the University of Turin, who will focus on mafia organizations; and Florencio Domínguez and Gaizca Fernández, Director of the Memorial Centre for the Victims of Terrorism and its Head of Research, respectively.

During the conference, attendees will also hear from Lourdes Legasa, a relative of businessman José Legasa Ubiría, who was murdered by ETA in 1978, and engage with Abel García Roure, director of "La línea invisible," a television miniseries based on real events that focuses on the beginning of the terrorist group.

Professor Díaz Morlán also invites interested individuals to visit the exhibition Rolando 2:15 - 2:45, about the terrorist attack carried out by ETA in 1974 at a café in central Madrid, which resulted in thirteen deaths and over fifty injuries.