30th Anniversary of Failed Coup Remembered
February 24th, 2011
We are much better” now than three decades ago, King Juan Carlos told Spaniards during yesterday’s observance of the 30th anniversary of a failed coup against what was then a fledgling democracy.
The monarch made this remark upon his arrival at Parliament to attend a luncheon with the country’s top political leaders at the time who were held hostage for 18 hours inside the legislature by a group of mutinous Civil Guards under the command of Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero.
Juan Carlos jokingly noted that, in contrast to the tense early morning hours of Feb. 23, 1981, last night he slept “very well.”
The king said that he feels very satisfied with the evolution of Spain over the three decades since the attempt to derail the democratic transition that began after the death in 1975 of dictator Francisco Franco.
Flanked by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and lower house speaker Jose Bono, the king said in response to questions from reporters that he believes that the whole truth is now known about the coup plot.
Attending the luncheon, besides current officeholders, were the man who was speaker in 1981 – Landelino Lavilla – and former Premier Felipe Gonzalez, thirty years ago the leader of the parliamentary opposition.
Also present were two of the “fathers” of Spain’s 1978 democratic constitution: Manuel Fraga Iribarne and Miquel Roca, and others who were present in Parliament during the attempted putsch.
Later on Wednesday, top current and former officials will commemorate the dramatic 18 hours of the attempted coup at a ceremony to be held in the chamber of the lower house. From foxnews.com
