The failed 1981 coup: the foundational myth of Spain’s democracy, increasingly under scrutiny
Forty years on, with the Franco dictatorship still fresh on the memory, a failed coup attempt served to strengthen the democratization process
On February 23, 1981, armed paramilitary men stormed the Spanish congress led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero, who took to the chamber’s podium, fired a series of warning shots, and shouted at an audience of lawmakers and government members: "¡Quieto todo el mundo! ¡Al suelo! ¡Se sienten coño!” (Nobody moves! On the ground! Sit the fuck down!)
Forty years on, the moment remains ingrained in Spain’s collective memory, even for those who were yet to be born, and has come to symbolize the turning point when the transition to democracy trembled, but ultimately prevailed.
"It’s the foundational myth of the Spanish democracy," said Javier Cercas in a recent interview, author of Anatomy of a moment, one of the most comprehensive accounts of the failed coup d’état, popularly known as 23-F.
Dictator Francisco Franco had died only six years before, his authoritative 39-year rule was still fresh on the memory, and the democratization process was uncertain.