- In Spain there are (still) 120.000 missing people (after all these years). Spain is the second country in the world for the number of missing people, only behind Cambodia.
- There are more than 2000 known mass graves still to be opened. Not to count the unknown ones. Here’s a map. It’s horrifying.
- Fifty kilometres north of Madrid, in the granite mountains of the Sierra de Guadarrama, is the tallest stone cross built anywhere in the world, it’s called the Valley of the Fallen. It’s more than 150 metres high, it stands guard over a vast basilica hewn into the rock below. It was built by republicans prisioner-of-war and victims of reprisals. The tomb of the Dictator is located here.
- Every year, diehard followers of Franco pay their respects around the anniversary of his death (November 20), either in the Valley of The Fallen or even worse, in the church of Los Jerónimos, in Madrid, where they sing the fascist hymn and there’s a priest celebrating a special mass in his honour.
.The Popular Party (PP), the most voted political party in Spain, was founded by Ministries and personalities from the Regime. They have never been able to bring themselves to condemn Francoism. Their opinion is that although the wounds are still open, we shall remain silent and forget.
- There is a foundation called Francisco Franco, that gets public money every year. One of the main benefactors is the Popular Party. They organize acts and events defending the right of the uprising and subsequent war.
-After all these year, the government passed a controversial law called “Ley de Memoria Histórica”, calling for the removal of Franco statues and street names, and opening of war graves. The Popular Party, and the new right party ‘Ciudadanos’ (C’s) are constantly blocking any change in most towns where they are governing. They argue it’s “opening old wounds” and “threatening the tranquil co-existence”.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
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