The Government approves withdrawing the medal of merit for work from Franco and other prominent leaders of the dictatorship

Yolanda Díaz censures that the only merit of these people is "violating human rights and trampling democracy"

The Council of Ministers has approved this Tuesday, at the proposal of the Ministry of Labor, to withdraw the medal of merit for work from the dictator Francisco Franco and other prominent leaders linked to the dictatorship.

The second vice president herself, Yolanda Díaz, has appeared in Moncloa to report on the revocation of this award, by virtue of the application of article 42 of the Democratic Memory Law, which affects "nothing more and nothing less" than the dictator himself .

"The only work that the people from whom we withdraw this merit today have raised is having worked to violate and violate human rights and trample on democracy in our country," he emphasized.

Specifically, the withdrawal of this distinction is limited, in addition to Franco, to eight other senior officials of the dictatorship. Thus, former soldiers and regime ministers such as José Luis Arrese, Juan Yagüe, José Antonio Girón, Jesús Romero Gorría, José Solís Ruiz, José María Fernández Ladreda (also former mayor of Oviedo), Cardinal Enrique Plá y Deniel and the military and former mayor of Cádiz José León de Carranza.

During his appearance, Díaz stressed, for example, that Yagüe is known as the "Butcher of Burgos"; Romero Gorría promoted the prohibition of strikes, violated the right to association and created the vertical union model; Arrese was general secretary of the Francoist Movement or Pla and Daniel was the "inducer and theoretician of the coup."

In short, the minister has censured that all of them present a "history that calls democracy into question" in Spain and that, therefore, she has stressed that the withdrawal of this distinction complies with the Law of Democratic Memory.

However, he has expressed his "sadness" that it was in the year 2023 when these medals for work merit were withdrawn from people who "represent the worst of the Franco regime."

"Democratic memory does not allow areas of shadow, neither does justice and reparation for the victims of the dictatorship. Today, with the withdrawal of Franco's medals, we comply with the law and contribute, above all, to the desire to dignify the institutions of our country", has also moved on social networks.

IT IS NOT RETURNING TO THE PAST BUT LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

He has also explained that "they are not going back to the past in any case", but they are looking to the future. "We are assuming an ethical, and now legal, inescapable mandate that denies amnesia and grants just and due reparation. Because it is impossible to build a firm future on the pain, death and defenselessness of thousands and thousands of people", has delved.

From his department they point out that Francisco Franco was awarded a specific and extraordinary recognition, created expressly in his honor: the Laureated Gold Medal for Merit and Sacrifice at Work, on July 18, 1953.

HE ALREADY SAID THEY HAD THEIR "HANDS STAINED WITH BLOOD"

Díaz already advanced in October of last year that he was going to proceed to strip Franco and leaders of his regime of this distinction, and that his forecast was to do so with a total of 62 personalities who had "blood-stained hands."

At the time, he pointed out that the dispossession of this award granted by the Ministry is applied by virtue of article 42 of the new law, which enables the option of reviewing prizes and awards granted by the Government when the beneficiary has been part of the repression apparatus. Franco regime, or for engaging in behaviors incompatible with democratic values ​​and respect for Human Rights.

The vice president explained that these recognitions of Francoist leaders are "infamy" and that it is necessary to restore "dignity", "justice" and "reparation" in accordance with the democratic mandate. "There can be no shadow areas in this matter," she deepened.