Tenerife strip Franco of titles

More than 80 years ago on the August 20, 1936 Franco was “adopted” by the Island of Tenerife. Now, following a motion in the Plenary of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Tenerife strip Franco of all titles including the the “son of Tenerife” title.

The joint proposal by the PSOE and Si Podemos sought to correct history and to denounce totalitarian regimes and the use of violence in imposing ideologies on others.

In addition to the Plenary’s rejection of dictatorships and the use of violence to supress citizens, the law strips Franco of all honours, distinctions and titles. Furthermore all administrations on the Island will now be required to remove all objects and commemorations that glorify or honour the dictator, the military uprising or the Civil War. The law applies to both public and personal collections.

The socialist councillor charged with defending the motion, Javier Rodríguez Medina said that “the Island Council of Tenerife must adopt the appropriate agreements to comply with the Historical Memory Law, as well as with what was stated by the Constitutional Commission of the Congress of Deputies.” Continuing he said “no one can feel legitimated, as happened in the past, to use violence in order to impose their political convictions and establish totalitarian regimes contrary to freedom and dignity, which they deserve the condemnation and rejection of democratic society.”

The motion for Tenerife to strip Franco of titles will be welcomed by most but not all, and although it comes many years after the atrocities it does serve to send the right message.

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