The Spanish government has released dozens of documents related to the coup attempt that took place 45 years ago and is considered a key moment in the country's history.
This is reported by the BBC.
The release of 153 secret files sparked such interest that the government website that hosted the documents was temporarily down. The package of documents includes police and court reports, transcripts of conversations between officials, and foreign government reactions to the events.
It is noted that the files contained some revelations, including that six intelligence officers were involved in the conspiracy.
Another document states that security forces estimate that if a special police unit tries to storm the parliament building, it could result in “80 to 110 deaths.”
The documents also included reports of support from foreign governments after the failed coup.
In particular, Queen Elizabeth II's address in Spanish to King Juan Carlos read: “All of us in Great Britain assure you that we know the final outcome.”
On February 23, 1981, a group of armed officers stormed the main chamber of the parliament in Madrid, interrupting the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. Their goal was to restore authoritarianism. This came six years after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.
The coup failed after King Juan Carlos I made a televised address in support of the democratically elected government and the constitutional order. He expressed his disagreement with the rebels and ordered all military personnel to remain in their barracks.
For many Spaniards, this episode cemented Juan Carlos' status as the savior of their “young democracy and the country's rejection of Francoist values.”
However, since then, numerous conspiracy theories have emerged, including that the king may have known about the coup in advance or even taken an active part in it.
Over the past decades, many have questioned the “allegedly heroic role of the king.”
Other theories claimed that the uprising was orchestrated by the political establishment, aiming to conduct a test that would strengthen the country's democracy.
The current government of Pedro Sánchez has said that keeping documents related to the event under lock and key is a “historical anomaly” that needs to be corrected, and that their release poses no risk to anyone.
It was also noted that their declassification would undermine the authority of those who spread false theories about the coup.