Spain to grant citizenship to nearly 170 descendants of International Brigade fighters

The Spanish government will grant citizenship to nearly 170 descendants of International Brigade fighters.

The announcement was made this week by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who said the measure will be formally approved next Tuesday.

Sánchez said it will be "an honor" to call the children of those who fought for the Republic during the Civil War "compatriots."

The initiative comes three weeks before the 50th anniversary of the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

Speaking at an event with victims of the dictatorship and repression, Sánchez outlined several other measures planned for the occasion.

Among them is a proposal to permanently "remove symbols and elements contrary to democratic memory."

"We will do so without excuses or delays," Sánchez said. "No democracy honors the coup plotters."

He also announced that the government aims to legally dissolve the Francisco Franco Foundation.

"Freedom was never a gift, it was a conquest by the entire Spanish society," the PM said, warning of a "constant and subtle" attempt to delegitimize democracy.

Sánchez concluded by saying that Spain's current democracy exists thanks to the efforts of "anonymous faces not found in history books."