SPAIN: Statues of Franco and José Antonio

Christopher Jones forwards a statement  from the Spanish platform of  the Josè Antonio Primo de Rivera Organization  denouncing the removal of statues of Franco and Josè Antonio. The latest case is Guadalajara, where the Communist deputy mayor ordered their removal from Concord Square, a name which now sounds like a reproach.  Now the only statues of Franco and of Josè Antonio are in Santander, Mellila and the Military Academy in Zaragoza.  Soon they will be removed from the Valle de los Caídos.  The idea of reconciliation of all Spaniards under the leadership of the Crown has been a big lie. A banquet held to honor the Communist leader Carrillo applauded these actions. There is no greater human shame than to continue being Spanish.

Christopher Jones forwarded a statement lamenting th removal in Spain of statues of Granco and Josè Antonio Primo de Rivera.  Carmen Hegrin, the grand-daughter of the last Republican president, writes: This, of course, is Christopher Jones' opinion and the opinion of dictator lovers. I personally think that removing the statues was a great initiative. Those statues are an insult to the democracy Spaniards are now engaged in. There was no link between the surprise dinner for Communist leader Carrillo's birthday, which was attended by several hundred people from all the political parties involved in the transition, and this initiative, which was announced some time ago. Of course Carrillo, like, the majority of Spaniards, must have been quite pleased by the decision.

Davud Crow writes;Spanish Communist Party (PCE) leader Santiago Carrillo's own role in preventing civil strife in the rocky early days of the Spanish transition should not be left unmentioned.  Especially memorable was his statement that "no purple flag [the Republican colors] is worth another civil war between Spaniards."  As for removal of the Franco statues, I, for one, find it understandable that democratic Spain wishes to remove the stain of its fascist past.  RH: I assume that by "transition" David means the end of the Franco regime. More significant would be the attitude of the Spanish Communists during the republic and the civil war.