THE Spanish government has announced that up to 170 descendants of volunteers in the International Brigade will receive citizenship in recognition of their ancestors’ fight against the fascism of Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.
During the Spanish Civil War, an estimated 35,000 foreigners from around the world headed to Spain to join the war effort against Franco’s nationalist forces – up to 15,000 of whom died in battle or in prisoner camps.
Celebrating the move at a ceremony last week in Madrid, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said: “It will be an honour to call them compatriots. We call for the defence of the same democracy as they did at a time when it is under threat around the world.”
As part of Spain’s Democratic Memory Law, the descendants of International Brigade fighters are eligible to apply for Spanish citizenship if they ‘demonstrate a continued effort to disseminate the memory of their ancestors and the defence of democracy in Spain’.
The announcement also comes just over a fortnight before the 50th anniversary of Franco’s death, which brought an end to his 36-year iron fist rule and laid the foundations for Spain’s successful transition to democracy.
Jim Jump, the chair of the International Brigade Memorial Trust in London, said: “The Spanish government’s decision underlines its determination to erase the toxic legacy of the Franco dictatorship.
“Many families of International Brigaders continued to campaign for the restoration of democracy in Spain during those dark years.
“Spanish citizenship for them fulfils the spirit of the historic pledge made by the Spanish Republic to offer a home for the Brigaders.”
Sanchez also said his government will take further steps to outlaw the National Francisco Franco Foundation and pass a royal decree calling for the removal of pro-fascist symbols and other relics of the dictatorship, which spanned from 1939 until 1976.
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