1981 Spanish coup attempt
23-F is the name that is given to the attempted coup d'etat of the Spanish Congress in 1981.
On February 23, 1981, at 6.21pm, Antonio Tejero together with a group of 200 Guardia Civil armed officers stormed into the Spanish Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Cortes. When they entered, the Congress was in the process of electing the new President of the Government, Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, to replace Adolfo Suárez.
In a co-ordinated action General Miláns del Bosch, among others, declared a state of emergency and ordered tanks out on to the streets of Valencia. King Juan Carlos held a televised speech at 01:14 AM, condemning the coup, and calling for support for Spain’s democratic process. After holding Spain's parliament and Cabinet hostage for 18 hours the hostage takers surrendered the morning after without harming anyone. Deputy Javier Solana has described how when he saw Tejero reading a specially printed edition of the El País newspaper strongly condemning the hostage taking, which had been brought in by General Sáenz de Santa María, he knew that the coup had failed. Tejero was arrested outside the Congress building, and both he and del Bosch were sentenced to 30 years in prison. 30 people were eventually convicted for the attempted coup.
See also
Operación Galaxia was an earlier coup plan.
External links
Books
- 23-F: El Golpe Que Nunca Existio by Amadeo Martinez Ingles, 2001 - ISBN 849544013X
- El negocio de la libertad by Jesús Cacho, 1999 - ISBN 8493048194
- El Golpe: Anatomía y Claves Del Asalto Al Congreso by Busquets, Julio, Miguel A. Aguilar, and Ignacio Puche, 1981 (written few days after the coup)
- Un rey golpe a golpe by Patricia Sverlo, 2000 (limited and "restricted" distribution in Spain)