Madrid – The body of Spain’s former right-wing dictator Francisco Franco will be exhumed within the next two weeks, the government said on Friday.
Franco’s remains will be transferred from a massive mausoleum in the so-called Valley of the Fallen, north-west of Madrid, to a municipal cemetery to the north of the city, Spanish Vice President Carmen Calvo said after a cabinet meeting.
Spain’s government wants to transform the Valley of the Fallen into a place of national reconciliation. Originally a memorial erected by Franco himself in honour of those who died on his side of the Spanish Civil War, it has become a pilgrimage site for Franco followers and right-wing extremists.
A number of conservative and right-wing populist politicians spoke out against the plan.
After months of debate, the highest court in Madrid gave the green light to exhume the former Spanish leader in September.
