Europe | Remembering a dictatorship
Spain’s government marks 50 years since Franco died
Opponents say it is the birth of democracy that should be commemorated
|MADRID
As historic turning-points go, it was squalid. On November 20th 1975 Francisco Franco, who had ruled Spain for almost 40 years, was declared dead, his body already rotting. That eventually ushered in a transition to democracy under King Juan Carlos.
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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Remembering Franco’s death”
Europe January 11th 2025
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