government in relation to the exhumation ? Is there any evidence that Mingorrubio Cemetery , where Franco is now buried , has also been turned into a neo-fascist pilgrimage site ?
Franco ’ s exhumation was a triumph for democracy that closed a dark chapter in Spain ’ s history and brought justice for the victims of the Civil War and Franco ’ s dictatorship . It ’ s true that it took place after a great deal of discussion on social networks and in the media . The dictator ’ s supporters exhausted all possible legal channels , so it fell to the Supreme Court to authorize the decision of Pedro Sánchez ’ s socialist government and order that the exhumation go ahead in accordance with a mandate from the Congress of Deputies .
Therefore , the main problems have been widely publicized . The Benedictine community of the Valley of the Fallen , Franco ’ s family , the Francisco Franco National Foundation , the Association for the Defence of the Valley of the Fallen and other far-right groups all radically opposed the move and attempted to block it . This was the main reason for the delay . However , there was a positive side to the problems . They provided a clear picture of the ultra-wing sentiment that can arise when people feel that part of their heritage is under threat , in this case the body of the dictator . An interesting portrait of Spanish society , including politicians , the media and certain institutions , emerged . The facts speak for themselves : the abbot of the Benedictine priory at the Valley of the Fallen declared that he was oblivious to the country ’ s laws and was willing to defy the order , the dictator ’ s family used the media to defend his legacy and demand honourable treatment , and those nostalgic for Francoism went to the Valley of the Fallen to show their support for this resistance . The politically charged image of the Franco family , accompanied by the abbot , carrying Franco ’ s coffin on their shoulders onto the plaza of the Valley of the Fallen in utter solitude also speaks volumes . This image is in stark contrast to those of his burial and shows that , although sociological Francoism is tenacious , support has fallen drastically .
There ’ s no data to indicate that the new location of Franco ’ s grave in Mingorrubio is becoming a neo-fascist pilgrimage site . Should that happen , we ’ ll take whatever legal measures we deem appropriate . In any case , the draft bill stipulates that part of the remit of public administrations is to prevent acts carried out in public that discredit , disparage or humiliate the victims or their families , that glorify the military coup or dictatorship or that pay homage or grant distinctions to any individuals or corporations that supported the military coup and the dictatorship .
5 . One of the big questions relates to the future of the Valley of the Fallen , the great mausoleum where the dictator was buried . What does the government plan to do with the site and how does it intend to address the underlying conflicts ( the more than 33,000 people buried there , the Benedictine community that guards the site , resignification of the space , etc .)?
The resignification of the Valley of the Fallen in terms of democratic memory is a priority . We will endeavour to ensure that state policy in this matter is in keeping with the most advanced initiatives in Europe and the rest of the world . We are aware of the complex nature of the task , but we ’ re not starting from scratch ; far from it in fact . Resignification is a long process that started some time ago . A crucial moment came when the process crossed paths with the movement for the recovery of historical memory , especially when attempts were made to exhume the first mass graves in around 2003 . These were found empty , and all that was left of the graves were scattered remains . This was the case with an exhumation in Aldeaseca ( Ávila ) led by Fausto Canales who , in his fight to recover the remains of his father and uncle and through his important public and media presence , has helped shed light on the relocation of the remains of Republicans to crypts in the Valley of the Fallen without the knowledge or permission of their relatives , information that was not in the public domain . This has turned him into one of the key
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Observing Memories ISSUE 4