Spain Commemorates Five-Decade Milestone of Francisco Franco's Death
Spain has marked the five-decade milestone of dictator Franco's demise with an absence of official events but with a message from the government leader to learn from the history of the repressive era and protect democratic liberties that was wrenched from us for so many years.
Background History
Franco, whose rebellion against the democratically elected administration in 1936 led to internal warfare and resulted in forty years of dictatorship, succumbed in Madrid on the twentieth of November, 1975.
Despite the government has organised a year-long series of activities to commemorate the post-Franco transformation, it declined government events on the exact day of the dictator's death to avoid accusations that it was trying to honor his death.
Contemporary Concerns
The marking happens alongside growing worries about the limited understanding about the repressive era, particularly among the youth.
Research findings has revealed that over one-fifth of respondents felt the Franco era was good or very good, while additional research found approximately one-fourth of Spaniards aged 18 to 28 felt that an authoritarian regime could sometimes be preferable to a democratic system.
Official Position
No democracy – including ours – is perfect, the prime minister wrote. Significant progress is needed to build the desired nation and that we can be: a place of more opportunity; more rights and less inequality.
The government official, who consciously omitted naming Franco by name, also commented that liberties weren't automatically granted, emphasizing that current liberties had been secured by the determination and persistence of the population.
Remembrance Programs
The administration has employed remembrance laws passed in recent years to support the country address historical events.
- Redesignating the Valley of Cuelgamuros – once named the Memorial Valley
- Developing a registry of property confiscated during the era
- Working to strip Spain the last vestiges of Francoist symbols
Organization Shutdown Attempts
The government is also in the last phases of its initiatives to dissolve the Francisco Franco National Foundation, which exists to preserve and advance the leader's memory.
The culture minister announced that his office was working to guarantee that the dictator's documents – presently held by the institution – was transferred to government control so it could be open to the public.
Political Resistance
The opposition conservative People's party is rejecting the administration's program to observe half-century of liberties, as is the conservative faction, which rejected the initiative an morbid fascination that divides Spaniards.
Historical Impact
Over half a million individuals died during the conflict, while numerous others were compelled to leave.
Punitive measures extended well after Franco's victory in 1939, and the remains of numerous victims killed during the war and in its aftermath are estimated to lie in unidentified collective tombs.
Government Transformation
Subsequent to the ruler's passing, Spain started the journey toward democratic governance, holding free elections in that period and ratifying a fresh charter in a public ballot afterward.
