The government of Pedro Sánchez, through the Ministry of the Interior, has definitively refused to recognize Manuel José García Caparrós as a victim of terrorism. The decision, announced on the eve of Andalusia Day, is based on a literal interpretation of a 2011 law that defines terrorism as the action of organized groups. Caparrós, a young worker, was killed by a police bullet during a demonstration in Málaga on December 4, 1977. The ruling has sparked immediate opposition from the regional structures of the PSOE and the left-wing party Sumar, revealing a deep rift within the Spanish left over the reckoning with state violence from the transition period. The case will now go to an administrative court.

Refusal Based on Law

The Ministry of the Interior argues that Caparrós's death at the hands of a single police officer does not meet the definition of terrorism from the 2011 law, which requires action by 'terrorist organizations or groups.' The decision upholds the government's previous stance.

Political Rift on the Left

The decision has divided the left camp. The Socialist Party of Andalusia (PSOE-A) and Sumar sharply criticized it, demanding that Caparrós be recognized as a victim of state terror. This puts the central government of Pedro Sánchez in a difficult position with its own electorate.

Family's Opposition and Appeal

The victim's family and memory associations reject the legal argument, citing a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that recognized state responsibility. Their lawyer has announced he will file a complaint with the administrative court against the ministry's decision.

Historical Context of Andalusia Day

The decision was announced just before the celebrations of Andalusia Day (February 28), the autonomous community's holiday. Caparrós's death during a demonstration for this day in 1977 makes this issue particularly current and symbolic.

Proposal to Reform the Law

In response to the controversy, the Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, announced that the government will consider amending the law on victims of terrorism to enable the recognition of cases like Caparrós's death. This is a potential path to a future resolution of the dispute.

The Spanish central government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has made a final decision that closes – under current law – the long-standing dispute over the status of Manuel José García Caparrós. The Ministry of the Interior (Ministerio del Interior) has refused to recognize this young worker, fatally shot by a police officer on December 4, 1977 in Málaga, as a victim of terrorism. The official justification, conveyed to the family, is strictly legal and based on the literal wording of Law 29/2011 on the recognition and comprehensive protection of victims of terrorism. The ministry points out that the law defines terrorism as the action of "terrorist organizations or groups," whereas Caparrós's death was the result of an act by a single officer. The political reaction to this decision was immediate and fierce, revealing a deep division within the Spanish left camp. The Socialist Party in Andalusia (PSOE-A) and the left-wing coalition Sumar voiced strong opposition. In an official statement, PSOE-A called on both the central government and the regional government, the Junta de Andalucía, to recognize Caparrós as a victim, describing his death as a "clear example of state terror." This open criticism from the regional structures of his own party puts Sánchez's government in a difficult position, balancing between a literal application of the law and the expectations of its historic electorate regarding memory and justice from the transition period. The period of the Spanish Transition, the peaceful transformation from Franco's dictatorship to parliamentary democracy after 1975, was not devoid of acts of violence. The state security apparatus, still largely composed of Francoist personnel, often brutally suppressed workers' and regional protests, such as the Andalusian demonstrations for autonomy. The death of Caparrós is one of the most symbolic episodes of this dark side of the transformation.The victim's family and memory associations, such as the "Asociación 4 de Diciembre," completely reject the government's argument. They cite a landmark 2022 ruling by Spain's Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo), which for the first time recognized state responsibility for this death and awarded compensation to the family. For them, this ruling is proof that we are dealing with an institutional crime, i.e., a form of state terror (terrorismo de Estado). The family's lawyer, Antonio Segura, has already announced he will file a complaint with the administrative court (Tribunal Contencioso-Administrativo) in Madrid to challenge the ministry's decision. The dispute is therefore moving back to the courtroom. The decision came at a critical moment – just before the celebrations of Día de Andalucía (February 28). Caparrós was killed during a demonstration preceding the first democratic celebrations of this holiday in 1977. His figure is thus inextricably linked to the struggle for Andalusian autonomy, which adds an additional, emotional dimension to the current dispute. In response to the growing controversy, Minister of Justice Félix Bolaños, in an interview with Cadena SER, suggested the possibility of a future change in the law. He stated that the government is prepared to "analyze and possibly reform" the law on victims of terrorism so that similar cases from the past can find their "place" in it.

Mentioned People

  • Manuel José García Caparrós — Young worker shot dead by police during a demonstration in Málaga on December 4, 1977. Central figure in the dispute over recognition as a victim of state terror.
  • Pedro Sánchez — Prime Minister of Spain, whose government upheld the decision to refuse recognizing Caparrós as a victim of terrorism.
  • Félix Bolaños — Minister of Justice of Spain, who announced the possibility of reforming the law on victims of terrorism in response to the dispute.