ETA blamed for journalist's killing

Masked police at the murder scene

A newspaper columnist who had been an opponent of the Basque separatist group ETA has been shot dead in Spain's Basque country.

Journalists are an easy target. They don't have bodyguards or protection

Casimiro Garcia Abadillo, El Mundo

Jose Luis Lopez de la Calle, who worked for the national daily El Mundo, was shot several times in the head and stomach outside his home on Sunday morning in the town of Andaoin.

A neighbour found the victim's body lying in the street after hearing the gunshots.

De la Calle: Threatened

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but investigators suspect members of the Basque separatist group ETA, which has sent letter bombs to two journalists in recent months.

If ETA is responsible, it would be its fourth killing since ending a 14-month ceasefire last December.

Protest call

Spain's royal family sent telegrams of condolence to the dead man's family and El Mundo newspaper.

Politicians have called for protest demonstrations. Previous killings have sparked huge protests in Spain.

The funeral is due on Monday.

Lopez de la Calle, who was married with two children, had been active in the political fight against ETA and had received death threats from the guerrillas.

He was a member of Forum d'Ermua, an association opposed to political violence.

'Easy target'

An ex-member of the Communist Party, he was jailed during late General Franco's 1939-75 dictatorship.

There were scenes of grief outside the journalist's home

"ETA wants to provoke fear in the society and they don't want journalists to tell the truth," said Casimiro Garcia Abadillo, a director at El Mundo.

"Journalists are an easy target. They don't have bodyguards or protection, and they don't take the same precautions as a politician or a Civil Guard," he added.

Aznar links

El Mundo, a liberal-leaning daily, is close to the centre-right government of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.

Mr Aznar, who is currently in Morocco, suspended all his planned activities for Sunday after hearing news of the killing.

Mr Aznar, sworn in last month for a second term, has vowed to continue the struggle against ETA's violent campaign for an independent homeland.