Plans by the Basque terrorist movement ETA to break its ceasefire with two massive, simultaneous explosions in the centre of Madrid became frighteningly clear when a van containing almost 800kg of explosives was found a few miles from where police seized another vehicle carrying a ton of explosives on Monday night.
The explosives in both vehicles had been primed to explode at 19.56 and needed just the detonators connected for a potential massacre, although the targets are still a matter of speculation. If even one of the two vehicle bombs had exploded, it would have been by far the largest bombing in ETA's bloody 30-year campaign, which has cost more than 700 lives.
The second car bomb was found near the town of Alhama de Aragon, 200km from Madrid, late on Wednesday night, but it was not inspected until after daylight yesterday in case it had been booby-trapped.
Police are searching for the driver of the second van, named as Igor Martinez de Osaga, who is believed to have escaped along with Alicia Saez de la Cuesta (26), the girlfriend of Jose Maria Novoa, whose detention led to the discovery of the bombs. He is still being questioned by police.
A search of Mr Martinez's house in the Basque town of Ametzaga yielded an arsenal of weapons, ammunition and grenades as well as 30kg of the eight tonnes of dynamite stolen last September from a factory in Brittany. Ms Saez's apartment in the Basque capital, Vitoria, was also searched and a large quantity of documentation was found. She was driving the Renault Clio car which police say was leading what the Spanish Interior Minister described as "the convoy of death".
Ms Saez and Mr Martinez abandoned their vehicles after Novoa's capture and are believed to have made their getaway from the nearby railway station.
In spite of the discovery of the bombs, few believe that ETA has abandoned its plans to resume violence, although no one knows when or where it will strike next. The Interior Minister, Mr Jaime Mayor Oreja, confirmed yesterday that the security forces were still on full alert.
"Certainly ETA has been hurt by these seizures, but I am sure that ETA will not give up and will try again, probably before the elections (early next year)," he said.
It is now three weeks since ETA warned that it would resume its violent struggle after a 14-month ceasefire had failed to further its campaign for an independent Basque state.
Over the past year the Basque people had begun to enjoy the fruits of living in a peaceful region without terrorism - investments are growing and tourists are returning - although "kale barroka", street violence perpetrated by gangs of pro-ETA youths, has continued virtually unabated.
Many fear that a resumption of terrorism would mean a return to the bad old days. Mr Juan Jose Ibarretxe, lehendakari or president of the autonomous Basque government, said yesterday: "The Basque people are sick of ETA violence, sick of `kale barroka'. What more must we do to enjoy peace?"
Spain will probably hold its general elections on March 12th, 2000, government spokesman Mr Josep Pique said yesterday after a cabinet meeting.