Spain: Death of Antonio Tejero and Declassification of Documents Regarding the 1981 Coup Attempt

The death of Antonio Tejero, a lieutenant colonel of the Civil Guard who 45 years ago commanded the brutal occupation of the Congress of Deputies, heralds a symbolic end to the era of Spain's political transition. Funeral ceremonies were held in Xàtiva, after which his ashes were transferred to Málaga. This event coincided with the government's decision to grant researchers access to thousands of pages of previously secret files concerning 23-F. These documents are crucial for understanding the stability of Spanish democracy during that period. On February 23, 1981, Civil Guard units stormed the parliament during a vote on the candidacy of Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo for prime minister, holding deputies hostage for 18 hours. The declassified materials reinforce the image of Juan Carlos I as a defender of the constitutional order, while simultaneously debunking numerous disinformation campaigns spread by the coup plotters about the monarch's alleged acceptance of their actions. However, the files reveal that the situation in the army remained critical for many months after the coup attempt. For example, Gen. Coloma Gallegos was prepared to support the coup, and Gen. González del Hierro planned a so-called „Turkish-style coup” even after Tejero's defeat. Documents from December 1981 indicate the king's desperate efforts to prevent another military coup during meetings with the high command. „Como una colilla, por Marta Rebón” (Like a cigarette butt) — by Marta Rebón Simultaneously, the government declared compensation payments for the family of Manuel García Caparrós, who was shot by police in 1977 during a demonstration for Andalusian autonomy. This decision, announced by María Jesús Montero, is part of a broader historical memory policy, intended to recognize victims of state violence from the transition period as victims of terrorism. The deceased's family consistently demands full state accountability for this murder, which fits into Spain's ongoing debate over reckoning with the past. 110 — potential victims were estimated in a forceful recapture of the Congress Declassified reports from the GEO unit from February 1981 show that the command rejected a plan to storm the parliament, predicting that the operation could cost the lives of 80 to 110 people. This operational caution ultimately allowed for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, although the documents now being published prove that the loyalty of many military regions, particularly Valencia and the Canary Islands, hung by a thread for much longer than commonly believed.