The Spanish government will spend more than 280,000 euros in the restoration of Valle de los Caídos, the mausoleum where former dictator Francisco Franco was buried after his death. Franco himself ordered its construction on 1 April 1940, when he was celebrating the first anniversary of his victory in the Spanish Civil war. It would not be finished until nearly 20 years later. It would also serve to "perpetuate the memory of those who fell in our glorious Crusade (sic)". In fact, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of Falange Española de las JONS (the Fascist party which would be one of the ideological pillars of Franco's dictatorship, especially during the first years) was one of the people whose remains would be housed there.
However, Primo de Rivera and Franco would be an exception: the people buried in the Valle de los Caídos were mainly civilians and military soldiers or cadres without any political relevance. Moreover, some of them were members of the Republican Army who fought against Franco during the war, whose remains were transferred to the mausoleum without the authorization of their relatives. Furthermore, the relatives of the majority of the buried there were not aware of that, as shown at the documentary "Avi, et trauré d'aquí" (Grandpa, I'll get you away from here), broadcast by Catalan television TV3.
However, Primo de Rivera and Franco would be an exception: the people buried in the Valle de los Caídos were mainly civilians and military soldiers or cadres without any political relevance. Moreover, some of them were members of the Republican Army who fought against Franco during the war, whose remains were transferred to the mausoleum without the authorization of their relatives. Furthermore, the relatives of the majority of the buried there were not aware of that, as shown at the documentary "Avi, et trauré d'aquí" (Grandpa, I'll get you away from here), broadcast by Catalan television TV3.
NO-DO, the official newscast for the propaganda of the regime, admitted that thousands of political prisoners took part in the construction of such a mausoleum. Indeed, forced labour was one of the means used by Francoist to punish opposition and political resistance against the regime. In this particular case, thousands of prisoners took part in the works during nearly 19 years under the strict commands of the Central Board for the Redemption of Sentences through Labour. This board was directly commanded by the Head of State and had the purpose of "praying to God for the souls of all the Fallen (those who died fighting alongside Franco during the Civil War) as well as for Spain".
The video below shows an extract of a reportage broadcast by No-Do praising the regime for "giving the political prisoners a chance to redeem the damage they could have done before".
Unfortunately, this has not been the first nor the only action taken by the Spanish government in memory of the victors of the Spanish Civil war. Whereas nearly anyone who dares either to oppose the budget cuts which are making many citizens endure poverty or to claim that Catalan people have the right to decide on their own future are described as Nazis, the representative of the central Government in Catalonia participated in an event whose purpose was to honor former members of the Blue Division, a body of volunteer Spanish soldiers which fought in the Eastern front alongside Nazi troops during the Second World War. In addition, the State still subsidizes National Francisco Franco Foundation, an organization which preserves the memory of the dictator and praises him.
Spain is the only "democratic" state in which a dictator is worshiped almost like a hero instead of punishing the crimes committed by his regime. Meanwhile, dozens of victims are seeking a justice they will not find in the country. The government keeps on praising the wrong ones.
UPDATE (5/25/2013): Hermann Tertsch, a Spanish journalist and son of a Nazi soldier, has written a tweet justifying the execution of Catalan President Lluís Companys i Jover. Companys flought to France when the Spanish Civil war was about to end, then Nazi authorities detained him (according to most historians, they were agents from the Gestapo who caught him, despite historian Josep Benet says he would be detained Wehrmacht), filling a complaint issued by the ambassade of Francoist Spain. He would die after an unlawful council of war at Montjuïc Castle, Barcelona, on 15 October 1940.
In his tweet, Tertsch complained about the lawsuit that Catalan party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya is about to fill before an Argentinian court regarding Companys' execution. Literally, he says: "ERC (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) will fill a lawsuit against the State because of the shooting of Companys. One of the few executions commited by Franco which would be praised by every democracy".
UPDATE (5/25/2013): Hermann Tertsch, a Spanish journalist and son of a Nazi soldier, has written a tweet justifying the execution of Catalan President Lluís Companys i Jover. Companys flought to France when the Spanish Civil war was about to end, then Nazi authorities detained him (according to most historians, they were agents from the Gestapo who caught him, despite historian Josep Benet says he would be detained Wehrmacht), filling a complaint issued by the ambassade of Francoist Spain. He would die after an unlawful council of war at Montjuïc Castle, Barcelona, on 15 October 1940.
In his tweet, Tertsch complained about the lawsuit that Catalan party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya is about to fill before an Argentinian court regarding Companys' execution. Literally, he says: "ERC (Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya) will fill a lawsuit against the State because of the shooting of Companys. One of the few executions commited by Franco which would be praised by every democracy".
ERC se querellará contra el Estado por el fusilamiento de Companys. De las pocas ejecuciones de Franco que habría aplaudido toda democracia.
— Hermann Tertsch (@hermanntertsch) 2013 maiatza 25
Spain may be the only state in the world where such statements are unpunished. Could the execution of a democratically-elected president be praised by any democracy?
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