The family of Spanish fascist dictator Francisco Franco has issued a press statement affirming that "under no circumstances" will they cooperate "actively or passively" in the Spanish government's decision to exhume the remains of the dictator. They warn that they will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to prevent the relocation of Franco's body.
The statement, issued on Saturday and signed by the Martinez-Bordiú Franco family, provides these clarifications as a response to what they call "the distortion that some media have made of the statements made by members of our family", in order to "avoid any misunderstanding".
On Saturday morning the dictator's grandson Francis Franco had said that "naturally" his family would take charge of the remains. "We will not leave him in the hands of the government," he said.
The Martínez-Bordiu family now affirms, however, that "under no circumstances" will it cooperate actively or passively with the intention of the Spanish government outlined in the royal decree-law approved on Friday", reiterating its "firm and unanimous opposition" to any exhumation or relocation of Franco's remains.
Accusations against Sánchez
The family members add that, as they have an interest in the exhumation order that will be initiated by the Spanish cabinet at its meeting next Friday, they reserve the option to exhaust "all legal resources" within their capacity, without discarding any additional legal action that could guarantee their rights as "the only ones with the legitimacy to decide the destination of the mortal remains" of Franco.
In this regard, the family expresses its "confidence in the courts of justice and the current law", which from their point of view was "severely harmed by the royal decree law approved on Friday", and "very especially "- adds the press statement- their confidence in the Benedictine community which was given responsibility for the safekeeping of the remains".
And the dictator's descendents note that this religious order "has manifested that it would not agree to any exhumation against the wishes of the deceased's family", and thus they expect that the Spanish government "will not be able to carry through its plan to ill-treat the remains in an act of retrospective revenge without precedent in the civilized world".
The contradictions
"Notwithstanding the above, we will never allow the government to take control of the remains of our grandfather in the way that it desires, and thus, if an exhumation were to take place against our will, we would insist on the remains being handed over to us in order to proceed to give them a Christian burial", concludes the note.
On Saturday morning, the dictator's grandson, Francis Franco, said that the family would take charge of the body of his grandfather if he is exhumed from the Valle de los Caídos and it has discarded, for security reasons, the possibility of burying his remains in the grounds of El Pardo, the Madrid palace where their grandmother Carmen Polo, the dictator's wife, is already buried.
The dictator's grandson, Francis Franco / Europa Press
In response to the question of whether the family would appeal against the process for the removal of the dictator's body, Francis Franco said that the family "would give a formal legal response" with the "appropriate declarations" once the 15 day period began in which those concerned are able to personally appear and make appeals, and as well they would communicate the final resting place they desire for the mortal remains of the fascist leader.