Antonio Tejero
Encyclopedia
Antonio Tejero Molina is a Spanish
former Lieutenant Colonel
of the Guardia Civil
, and the most visible figure in the attempted coup d'état
– also known as the 'Tejerazo' – against the Spanish democracy
on 23 February 1981.
In 1955 Lieutenant Tejero was assigned to Catalonia. In 1958 he was promoted to Captain and assigned to Galicia, then to Vélez-Málaga and at 1963 he was promoted to Major, serving in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and in Badajoz. In 1974 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and appointed to head the Comandancias of Álava and Guipuscoa. For his accomplishments in Vascongadas, and in combating the ETA, he was named Chief of the Planning Staff of the Civil Guard in Madrid.
At 1978 he, along with Police Captain Ricardo Sánez de Ynestrillas and an Army General Staff Colonel whose name is unknown attempted a coup d'état, known as Operation Galaxy, against the Spanish government. He was condemned to prison for mutiny after the collapse of the attempted coup d'état. Tejero was in prison seven months and seven days, and expelled from the Civil Guard.
He entered the Guardia Civil in 1951 and was the leader of the Comandancia in Guipúzcoa, but had to ask to be transferred to another region when his public declarations against the Ikurriña
became known.
On 23 February 1981, he entered the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish Parliament, with 200 Guardia Civil and soldiers and held the deputies present hostage for some 22 hours. The following day they surrendered to the police. Previously, Tejero had been involved in several coup attempts and acts of disobedience, including Operation Galaxia
, which led to a short prison sentence in 1980.
Tejero was the last of the coup leaders to be released from jail on 2 December 1996, having served 15 years in the military prison at Alcalá de Henares
. He lives in Torre del Mar in the Province of Málaga
. In 2006 he wrote to the newspaper Mellila Hoy calling for a referendum on the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE) proposals for giving new measures of autonomy to Catalonia
. In 2009, Tejero's son, Ramón Tejero Díez, wrote to the conservative newspaper ABC describing his father as a sincere religious man who was trying to do his best for Spain.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
former Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
of the Guardia Civil
Civil Guard (Spain)
The Civil Guard is the Spanish gendarmerie. It has foreign peace-keeping missions and maintains military status and is the equivalent of a federal military-status police force. As a police force, the Guardia Civil is comparable today to the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri and the...
, and the most visible figure in the attempted coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
– also known as the 'Tejerazo' – against the Spanish democracy
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
on 23 February 1981.
In 1955 Lieutenant Tejero was assigned to Catalonia. In 1958 he was promoted to Captain and assigned to Galicia, then to Vélez-Málaga and at 1963 he was promoted to Major, serving in the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and in Badajoz. In 1974 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and appointed to head the Comandancias of Álava and Guipuscoa. For his accomplishments in Vascongadas, and in combating the ETA, he was named Chief of the Planning Staff of the Civil Guard in Madrid.
At 1978 he, along with Police Captain Ricardo Sánez de Ynestrillas and an Army General Staff Colonel whose name is unknown attempted a coup d'état, known as Operation Galaxy, against the Spanish government. He was condemned to prison for mutiny after the collapse of the attempted coup d'état. Tejero was in prison seven months and seven days, and expelled from the Civil Guard.
He entered the Guardia Civil in 1951 and was the leader of the Comandancia in Guipúzcoa, but had to ask to be transferred to another region when his public declarations against the Ikurriña
Ikurriña
The ikurrina flag or ikurriña is a Basque symbol and the official flag of the Basque Country Autonomous Community of Spain.-Design:...
became known.
On 23 February 1981, he entered the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Spanish Parliament, with 200 Guardia Civil and soldiers and held the deputies present hostage for some 22 hours. The following day they surrendered to the police. Previously, Tejero had been involved in several coup attempts and acts of disobedience, including Operation Galaxia
Operation Galaxia
Operation Galaxia was the codename given to the plan which preceded the 23-F attempted coup d'état in Spain. It was named Galaxia, because the officers who took part met in Cafetería Galaxia in Madrid , on 11 November 1978.It was meant to take place on 17 November 1978, to stop the Spanish...
, which led to a short prison sentence in 1980.
Tejero was the last of the coup leaders to be released from jail on 2 December 1996, having served 15 years in the military prison at Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
. He lives in Torre del Mar in the Province of Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
. In 2006 he wrote to the newspaper Mellila Hoy calling for a referendum on the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE) proposals for giving new measures of autonomy to Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. In 2009, Tejero's son, Ramón Tejero Díez, wrote to the conservative newspaper ABC describing his father as a sincere religious man who was trying to do his best for Spain.