A “witch” of weapons to take: the past in Spain of the actress who played “Doña Clotilde” in Chavo del 8 | the Chronicle

The actress Angelines Fernandez, who played the character of “Doña Clotilde” in El Chavo del 8, with her blue dress and a wreath of pink flowers on her gathered gray hair, hid behind the laughter a dark past marked by tragedy.

Time before playing the famous “Witch of 71” in the Mexican series of Roberto Gómez Bolanos, the artist born in Madrid She was involved in the guerrilla groups that fought the Franco dictatorship in the historic civil war, which took place in 1939.

Alongside the trade union, workers, feminists and republicans movements, Fernández fought the fascist and anti-communist regime until the end of the war. After the victory of Francisco francoDue to increased military repression, political and ideological persecution, disappearances and deaths, the diva was forced into exile at just 25 to save her life.

“When she worked in the guerrillas in Spain, my mother was classified as anti-Franco, so she had to leave her native country, considering that her life was difficult. She arrived in Mexico in 1947, but has never been a refugee. Later he lived in Havana, where he arranged his roles and returned to work in the films of Cantinflas and Arturo de Córdova “, revealed in an interview the daughter of the actress, Paloma Fernández.

Among the more than 25,000 refugees who arrived in Mexico during this time was the actress, whose real name was Maria de los Angeles Fernández Abad. It is there that, far from armed conflicts, Spanish was nationalized Mexican able to devote himself fully to his vocation, and finally managed to become famous with his stint in the series of The boy.

“Doña Clotilde” is perhaps one of the few most recognized elderly character names around the world in television history. The character of the bad-tempered elderly woman, eternally in love with “Don Ramón”, and whom her neighbors jokingly nicknamed “The Witch of 71”, was etched in the hearts of her fans of all generations.

In addition to shining in this super production, the actress has taken part in more than 23 soap operas, in numerous plays, and 27 films, many of them accompanied by Mario Moreno “Cantinflas”, who has always supported her since her arrival in Mexico.

Although over the years could celebrate Franco’s fall On the other side of the Atlantic, Fernández has never again been able to detach himself from the Latin American country which welcomed her so well in her most anxious moments, and which guaranteed her a one-way ticket to fame. with his fictional roles.

March 25, 1994 at 71, died for cancer that tormented her for several years, a product of her cigarette addiction.