Highly decorated police officer in Spain becomes Guardia Civil’s eighth Covid-19 casualty

SPAIN’S Guardia Civil lost its eighth police officer to coronavirus today.

Corporal Major, Francisco Castro Monje, assigned to the Ciudad Real headquarters, died this morning, according to the Ministry of the Interior and the Guardia Civil.

Castro was a highly decorated officer and was one of the founders of the Special Intervention Unit (SIU). His colleagues have described him as a “simple, loyal and noble” person.

He had been in ICU for a month.

The Department also reported that 2,000 of the 3,500 Guardia Civil officers who have been infected with the virus belong to this particular Command.

Castro is the eighth member of the Guardia Civil to die of Covid-19, confirmed Chief of Staff, General José Manuel Santiago, at a press conference in Moncloa today.

Nuestro adiós dolorido y nuestro más sentido pésame para la familia, compañeros y amigos de Francisco, destinado en la Comandancia de la @guardiacivil de Ciudad Real, fallecido hoy a causa del #COVID19.

Descansa en paz, hermano. pic.twitter.com/2aA1tZ1kZY

— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) April 19, 2020

Santiago tweeted: “Our message and condolences go out to all the families and friends.”

Paying tribute to the Guardia Civil’s latest fatality, the force said their “painful goodbye” and in a tweet sent their “most sincere condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of Francisco” adding “Rest in peace, brother”.

The Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, also conveyed his condolences to the family.

“I send my condolences and a warm embrace to his family and friends and to all his colleagues at the Command of Ciudad Real. Rest in peace”.