The remains of Franco have been exhumed in Spain | The faith …

Finally, the remains of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco were exhumed this morning from the mausoleum where they rest since 1975 in the valley of the dead, where is buried some of the victims of the civil war. According to the government, the coffins have been retrieved "without incident" and will be rehumidified today in a family crypt located in the Mingorrubio-El Pardo cemetery, north of Madrid.

Exhumation puts an end to a political debate and he revived the old controversies still open in Spain on the crimes committed by Franco who, after his victory in the Civil War (1936-1939), had ruled this country with an iron fist from 1939 to 1975, year of his death.

The coffin wore a crown and links with the flag of Spain on the shoulders of eight of his descendants. The honors were purely familiar, exclaiming "Long live Spain, long live Franco!" after filing in a hearse leading him to the military helicopter to transfer him to the discreet cemetery where he will be deposited in a family crypt next to his wife, Carmen Polo.

Priest Ramón Tejero, son of Antonio Tejero, lieutenant-colonel who had led a failed coup d'état in 1981, will preside Mass.

Outside the cemetery, where the government banned the protests, dozens of nostalgic people were waiting to shout "Viva Franco" and "Franco will never die". Twenty-two family members, including Carmen Martínez-Bordiu, a well-known figure from the entertainment industry in Spain, and Luis Alfonso de Borbón, Franco's great-grandson, attended l & # 39; exhumation. Justice Minister Dolores Delgado was present on behalf of the government.

President Pedro Sánchez made exhumation one of his priorities after coming to power in June 2018, with the aim of ensuring that the mausoleum, unparalleled in another country, would be one of its priorities. Western Europe ceases to be a place of exaltation of the Franco regime.

Sanchez had promised exhumation for the summer of 2018. But the legal battle sparked by the dictator's seven grandchildren delayed him for more than a year.