The Spanish Council of Ministers announced a groundbreaking decision to grant compensation to the family of Manuel José García Caparrós, killed by police in 1977. The government plans an urgent amendment of two laws to equate the status of victims of police repression from the political transition period with that of terrorism victims. This decision ends a years-long dispute over state responsibility for the tragic death of the young demonstrator fighting for Andalusian autonomy.

Equalization of Compensation

The government plans to amend laws so that the Caparrós family receives support equal to that for terrorism victims.

State Responsibility

Deputy Prime Minister Montero officially announced that the state will assume financial responsibility for the 1977 murder.

Legislative Reform

The legal changes are to be carried out urgently, aiming to be completed before the next anniversary of the death.

The Spanish government has made a historic decision to fully recognize state responsibility for the death of Manuel José García Caparrós, who was killed on December 4, 1977, during a demonstration for Andalusian autonomy. Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero announced a plan for urgent reform of two legal acts. These changes aim to enable the payment of compensation to the victim's family under terms identical to those available to families of terrorism victims. For nearly five decades, this case has remained a symbol of the unfinished reckoning with the transition period, with previous attempts at redress blocked by bureaucratic barriers and rigid legal definitions. The political transition in Spain after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975 was a process full of tensions, where regional aspirations for autonomy often clashed with the brutal response of the former regime's security apparatus.The García Caparrós family has actively demanded justice for years, emphasizing that the state must officially admit its mistake. The government's decision to equalize compensation is interpreted as an act of historical justice and part of a broader historical memory policy. Previously, this issue caused friction between Madrid and the Junta de Andalucía, which had already granted Caparrós the title of "Favorite Son" of the region. Now, the financial and moral burden of redress is being assumed by the central administration. „El Estado tiene que asumir su responsabilidad histórica con este asesinato” (The State must assume its historical responsibility for this murder.) — The García Caparrós family The announced reform also has a broader systemic dimension. It may pave the way for recognizing victim status for other individuals who lost their lives due to police actions between 1975 and 1983 and who have not previously qualified for any form of state support. Although some conservative circles express concerns about excessively broadening the definition of terrorism, Pedro Sánchez's government maintains that a democratic state must rectify wrongs committed by its own services in the pursuit of democracy. 49 lat — the family waited for official redress

Mentioned People

  • María Jesús Montero — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Spain, who announced the granting of compensation.
  • Manuel José García Caparrós — A young worker killed by police in 1977, a symbol of the struggle for Andalusian autonomy.
  • Rojas Marcos — An Andalusian politician who called Caparrós's death an act of state terrorism.