Last Friday, the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited Gernika and laid a wreath at the monument to the victims of the bombing of this Biscayan town by the Condor Legion, the Nazi air force, in 1937. They chose a market day to do more damage, and they did: they did: they did.

Álvaro García Ortiz overshadowed Francisco Franco on the 50th anniversary of his death. The day, marked in red on the Spanish government's calendar to commemorate the arrival of democracy, was marred by the Supreme Court's conviction of the Attorney General. Amid accusations from the right of having degraded Spanish democracy and calls for his resignation, Pedro Sánchez went to Congress to celebrate the end of the Franco regime. "Democracy is a privilege that we must defend every day," the Spanish president proclaimed at the presentation, coinciding with November 20th, of the series Anatomy of a Moment (Movistar+), based on Javier Cercas' book about the 23-F coup attempt and filmed in the lower house of parliament. Amid the media frenzy surrounding the decision of the five conservative judges, Sánchez has made a point of attending the screening of the first episode of this production.

Wednesday night's current affairs discussion The night in 24 hours Xabier Fortes's program traveled to a highly symbolic location to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Franco's death and the transition to democracy. They broadcast the program from the lobby of the famous Pazo de Meirás, the dictator's summer residence and the site where cabinet meetings were held during July and August. The estate was rebuilt by the novelist and essayist Emilia Pardo Bazán, one of the pioneering intellectuals of feminism in Spain. But the authorities and local political bosses of Galicia legitimized its plundering so that the manor It became the personal property of Franco and his family. In 2020, the courts returned it to public ownership, declaring the donation and sale null and void. Since there are still pending lawsuits with the dictator's heirs, the idea of filming the program from there was all the more unsettling.

This week we commemorate the deaths of two individuals who have been significant figures in history, both in Catalonia and in Spain. November 20th marked the 50th anniversary of the death of Francisco Franco, and, coincidentally, November 21st marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Ernest Lluch. The former died in bed, surrounded by loved ones, after a long month of heart problems and a painful final agony. The latter died alone in a parking lot, assassinated by an ETA commando. This stark contrast is one of the contradictions, but that is not what I wish to address. Rather, I want to reflect on some aspects that arise from this coincidence.

The mass called in Paris to honor Francisco Franco and the founder of the Falange, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the dictator's death, will not take place. The organizing body, the Franco-Hispanic Circle (CFH), a far-right, pro-fascist association and admirer of the Falange, decided to cancel it due to "media pressure exerted on places of worship," according to a statement. The news had generated surprise and outrage in France, where most of the major newspapers had reported on the events. The Communist Party had even called for the event to be prevented. "This mass must be banned," the leader of the communists in Paris, Ian Brossat, had written in X.

While Congress prepares to host several events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Francisco Franco's death, the anniversary only surfaced in the Madrid Assembly at the initiative of the left during the question period for Isabel Díaz Ayuso's government. "Today, November 20th, is a good day to celebrate democracy by condemning Francoism. Why don't you try to condemn it?" challenged Manuela Bergerot, the parliamentary spokesperson for Más Madrid, to the Madrid president. Ayuso dodged the question, arguing that she was born in a democracy in 1978. "You won't find us involved in the Civil War," she asserted. It is common for the leader of the Madrid PP to equate both sides, the Francoist and the Republican, and she did so again this Thursday to avoid speaking out against the dictatorship.

The death of dictator Francisco Franco half a century ago marked a turning point in the Transition to democracy; taking advantage of the anniversary, ten prominent figures explain to ARA what this experience was like for them.

That morning, Arias Navarro appeared on television, dreaming, to dictate the expected behavior of us: "I know that, at this moment, my voice will reach your homes broken and muffled by the murmur of your cries and prayers. It's natural. It's the cry of Spain, which feels as never before."

The memory of the Franco regime has returned to the media spotlight due to the ritual of the fiftieth anniversary of the dictator's death. It was a day of subdued celebrations, in an atmosphere of anticipation because there were great doubts about how things would turn out. I remember that with my colleagues from the magazine Fear Favor We decided to play ping-pong on my terrace, until signs of indignation began to emerge from a neighboring balcony, protesting the lack of respect.

Next Thursday marks the fiftieth anniversary of Francisco Franco's death. While institutions like Congress prepare to host events celebrating the arrival of democracy in Spain, a minority within civil society is preparing to reclaim the ideological legacy of the dictatorship at a time of growing fascination of young people with neo-fascismA week ago, 700 neo-Nazis marched through the center of Madrid, hooded and displaying Francoist symbols and racist slogans, giving the fascist salute. The demonstration was organized by Núcleo Nacional, one of the organizations most actively recruiting teenagers. These scenes are expected to be repeated next Friday when Falange has called for its traditional march in homage to José Antonio Primo de Rivera, its founder.

Next week marks the 50th anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco. Older generations vividly remember the atrocities of the regime and the rollback of freedoms, human rights, and social injustices caused by the coup against the Republic. However, his figure is being championed not only by nostalgics but also by far-right groups and, increasingly, by a segment of young conservatives who have made it a trending topic. This Sunday's report delves into this phenomenon and the price paid when the past is not held accountable.

Since the end of the Spanish Civil War, October 1st has been dedicated to honoring General Francisco Franco through "Caudillo Day." As chance would have it, towards the end of the regime, one of the key businessmen of the Franco era, Barcelona native Miquel Mateu Pla, also died on October 1st.

Torture is the intentional destruction of a human being at the hands of another. The methods used to inflict great pain and suffering vary, but they all have the same goal: to break the victim, destroy them as a person, and deny their human condition.

"We, Spaniards grateful to Francisco Franco, want to raise our voice in this year 2025. We want to do so because the political and media powers have declared that 2025 must be the year of lies against the Caudillo." Thus begins the manifesto of the 2025 Platform, an initiative that brings together Francoist entities such as the Francisco Franco Foundation and whose objective is to refute the agenda of celebration of the 50th anniversary of the dictator's death promoted by the Spanish government. A historic event that Pedro Sánchez claims as a key element in achieving "freedom" in the Spanish state. Nearly 1,500 people, according to the promoters, signed the manifesto, which goes in the opposite direction and praises the dictatorship, asserting that Franco was an "exemplary Christian," a "good man" who left a legacy of "prosperity, unity, and peace." Among the supporters are names such as Antonio Tejero, the former lieutenant colonel of the Civil Guard who was a protagonist in the attempted coup d'état of February 23; Miguel Bernad, leader of Manos Limpias; at least four of Franco's grandchildren; and the children of former Francoist minister José Utrera Molina.