Antonio Tejero, Key Figure in Spain's 1981 Coup, Passes Away at 93

Antonio Tejero, the Civil Guard officer behind a dramatic coup attempt in Spain in 1981, passed away at the age of 93 in Valencia. The announcement was made by the law firm A. Cañizares Abogados on behalf of Tejero's family, who indicated that he died peacefully with loved ones by his side after receiving the holy sacraments.

Tejero gained notoriety for his audacious takeover of Spain’s parliament on February 23, 1981, aimed at re-establishing a dictatorship just five years after the death of Francisco Franco, which led to Spain's first democratic elections in decades.

At around 6:23 p.m., dressed in a tricorn hat and wielding a pistol, Tejero stormed into the parliamentary chamber, demanding lawmakers lie on the floor. Shortly thereafter, other rebellious Civil Guards armed with machine guns joined him, leading to a harrowing scene where lawmakers sought cover amidst the chaos. Although the national broadcaster RTVE was ordered to stop its live feed, it had already captured half an hour of the unfolding drama, which later aired and became embedded in Spain's collective memory.

The attempted coup interrupted the formal swearing-in of a new government and lasted for roughly 17 hours, seeking to reverse the country’s shift towards democratic governance. The incident marked a significant moment in Spain’s democratic transition and elevated the reputation of then-King Juan Carlos I, who took to the airwaves to support the constitutional government and denounce the uprising.

Antonio Tejero was born on April 30, 1932, in Malaga, growing up under the influences of the Spanish Civil War and military ethos. Historian Roberto Muñoz Bolaños observed that his upbringing shaped him with the fascist principles of Franco’s regime, including anti-communism and a disdain for the decentralization of power. At 19, he entered a military academy, where he eventually became a member of the Civil Guard, rising through the ranks with a strong ideological alignment to his superiors.

However, following Franco's death, Tejero’s discontent grew as the influence of Francoists diminished within the military. He became critical of democracy, attributing various national issues to it and faced disciplinary actions for his insubordination. In 1977, he was dismissed as the head of a Civil Guard post in Malaga for obstructing a legally sanctioned demonstration, declaring that the day should be a period of mourning for a deceased officer.

Tejero devoted his life to advocating for the ideals of Franco and championed a return to far-right governance. His coup attempt remains one of the most striking events in modern Spanish history, representing a crucial challenge to a nascent democracy.