Spain condemns Franco’s dictatorship

The 40-year dictatorship of Spain’s General Franco has been formally condemned by parliament in Madrid. MPs approved a controversial bill, despite opposition arguments that it would tear Spain apart. It means all symbols of the fascist regime from 1936-75 must be removed from public buildings, and obliges local authorities to search for mass graves from the 1930s Civil War. Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero made the bill a government priority. His own grandfather was executed by Franco’s forces. Families of Franco’s victims said it was a new start for Spain.

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