Antonio Tejero, a former lieutenant colonel of the Civil Guard and the main figure of the failed coup d'état on February 23, 1981, has died at the age of 93. The death of the staunch Francoist occurred at a symbolic moment—exactly on the day the Spanish government decided to declassify key documents concerning those events. The archives shed new light on the stance of King Juan Carlos I and on plans by the police to violently suppress the rebellion.
Death of a coup plotter symbol
Antonio Tejero died of natural causes at the age of 93, remaining until the end of his life an icon of Spanish Francoist supporters.
Declassification of 23-F files
The Spanish government has released secret documents that reveal police plans for an operation to retake parliament, anticipating up to 110 casualties.
Role of Juan Carlos I
New evidence confirms that the king firmly opposed the coup plotters, rejecting any form of cooperation with the rebels.
Criticism from the Podemos party
The left-wing formation accuses the government of instrumentally using history and creating a smokescreen around current political problems.
Antonio Tejero went down in history as the man who stormed into the Congress of Deputies with a pistol in hand, challenging the nascent Spanish democracy. His death symbolically closes a chapter in the country's history, coinciding with the publication of documents that had remained secret for decades. The declassified files reveal that the Spanish police prepared a plan to forcibly retake parliament, which anticipated a tragic death toll of 80 to 110 people. Operational documents indicate that law enforcement was ready for a final confrontation with the coup plotters, highlighting the scale of the threat the state faced in 1981. The archival materials also finally dispel numerous conspiracy theories regarding the alleged support of the crown for the rebellion. Transcripts of conversations confirm that Juan Carlos I maintained a resolute stance towards the conspirators. In talks with generals, the king unequivocally ruled out abdication or leaving the country, which became the foundation for the coup's failure. Simultaneously, the files reveal chaos within the ranks of the rebels; the Tejero family was aware of the failure almost from the very beginning, and other conspirators, like General Armada, were criticized by their colleagues for naive proposals to form a coalition government with communists. The coup d'état of February 23, 1981, known as 23-F, was a critical moment for Spain after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975. The military's attempt to seize power aimed to halt democratic reforms and restore an authoritarian order. Political reactions to the publication of the documents are divided. While government circles speak of a triumph of transparency, the Podemos party harshly criticized the timing of the declassification, calling it a "smokescreen" meant to cover up the current problems of Pedro Sánchez's cabinet. The deceased Tejero, who is survived by six children and sixteen grandchildren, remained faithful to his convictions until the end, becoming the personification of resistance to modern Spain. „Ni abdicaré la Corona, ni abandonaré España” (I will neither abdicate the Crown, nor abandon Spain) — Juan Carlos I
Mentioned People
- Antonio Tejero — Leader of the failed 1981 coup d'état, died at the age of 93.
- Jan Karol I — Former King of Spain, who halted the coup.
- Fernando Grande-Marlaska — Spanish Minister of the Interior.