THE man who orchestrated a failed coup against the Spanish government in February 1981 has been given the last rites.
Antonio Tejero, 93, is in a private hospital in the Valencian region town of Carcaixent.
Family members are at the former lieutenant colonel’s bedside.
He is still alive- contrary to earlier media reports that he had passed away but reports described him as ‘clinically dead’.
Tejero had been living in Alzira at a property belonging to one of his daughters.
Born on April 30, 1932 in Alhaurín el Grande (Malaga), Antonio Tejero entered the General Academy of Zaragoza at the age of 19.
He became head of the Guardia Civil’s Malaga Command- a position he was stripped of after preventing a demonstration by people supporting democracy.
He with four others were then behind an attempt to stage a coup in 1978- three years after General Franco’s death.
He wanted to overthrow Prime Minister Adolfo Suarez and his plans for the new Constitution.
Although the coup never happened, he got seven months in prison.
Once he was freed, he began to draw up the plans for the failed coup d’état of February 23, 1981.
He infamously interrupted the investiture of Suarez’s successor, Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo in Congress.
Tejero burst into the venue at 6.23p.m. accompanied by more than 250 armed Guardia Civil officers – ordering everybody to lie on the ground. “
“To the ground!” he shouted and fired several shots at the ceiling.
The coup, which enjoyed the support of sectors of the military began to crumble after the early morning televised message from King Juan Carlos I, who was dressed in the uniform of Captain General of the Armed Forces.
It demonstrated the Crown’s support for the Constitution and democracy.
That was seen as a pivotal moment and after 12pm on February 24, the Guardia officers and Terejo left the Congress building.
Two years later, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime of consummated military rebellion, aggravated by repeated offences.
He was formally expelled from the Guardia Civil and released on parole on 3 December 1996.
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