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Spain has marked the five-decade milestone of Francisco Franco's death with an absence of official events but with a message from the government leader to heed the lessons of the authoritarian regime and protect democratic liberties that was wrenched from us for so many years.

Background History

Franco, whose military coup against the democratically elected administration in 1936 triggered a civil war and resulted in forty years of authoritarian rule, died in Madrid on November 20, 1975.

Although the socialist government has arranged an extended calendar of events to mark the democratic transition, it declined government events on the exact day of the ruler's demise to prevent claims that it was attempting to glorify his death.

Present-Day Worries

The anniversary comes amid growing worries about the lack of knowledge about the repressive era, particularly among the youth.

Survey data has shown that over one-fifth of participants felt the Franco regime was good or very good, while another study found approximately one-fourth of young Spanish adults felt that an c authoritarian government could occasionally be better to a democratic one.

Administration View

No democracy – including ours – is perfect, the official noted. Much remains to be done to create the preferred country and that we can be: a nation with greater possibilities; increased freedoms and reduced disparity.

The national leader, who deliberately avoided mentioning Franco by name, also observed that democracy didn't fall from the sky, adding that today's freedoms had been achieved through perseverance and resilience of the Spanish people.

Remembrance Programs

The administration has employed historical memory legislation passed in recent years to assist the nation address historical events.

• Redesignating the Valley of Cuelgamuros – previously known as the Memorial Valley
• Compiling an inventory of goods seized by the regime
• Seeking to eliminate the final remnants of dictatorship imagery

Organization Shutdown Attempts

The government is also in the last phases of its initiatives to dissolve the dictatorship foundation, which operates to maintain and promote the dictator's legacy.

The heritage department head declared that his department was seeking to make sure that Franco's official archive – currently in the possession of the foundation – was transferred to government control so it could be available to citizens.

Political Opposition

The opposition conservative People's party is rejecting the administration's program to observe half-century of liberties, as is the conservative faction, which dismissed the programme an unnecessary obsession that creates division among citizens.

Past Consequences

Numerous citizens died during the conflict, while hundreds of thousands more were forced into exile.

Retaliation persisted extensively following the war in 1939, and the bodies of more than 100,000 people who perished in the violence and in its aftereffects are thought to remain in unmarked mass graves.

Democratic Transition

Subsequent to the ruler's passing, Spain embarked on the transition back to democracy, holding free elections in 1977 and ratifying a fresh charter in a referendum the following year.