Santiago Carrillo is dead

[Niemeyerite]

The famous Communist leader, Santiago Carrillo (1915-2012), a key person during the Transition, died this afternoon at the age of 97. He was considered a hero by republicans during and after the Civil War, and was the 'communist demon' of the franquism. Carrillo played an important role in the defense of Madrid, which ultimately was conquered by Franco. He's always been asked about "Paracuellos", an episode of the war where more than 6,000 franquists were killed. It's worth noting that the families of the franquist soldiers had the support and the help of the Dictator, while republican families couldn't even ask for the bones of their killed relatives.



Carrillo was the leader of the Communist Party during the franquism, and he came back to Spain in 1976, with his famous hairpiece in order not to be recognized. The Minister of Interior, Martin Villa (who then became his friend), discovered he was in Spain and ordered his arrest. Carrillo only spent some days in prison, and, with the legalization of the Communist Party, a tough decision for the President, Adolfo Suarez, he finished 3rd in the "Constitutive elections" (1977). In order to have a Constitution for "all the people", he moderated his stances on many issues, and decided not to fight for the communist utopia. He didn't fight hard for a republican system, and that's why many communists despise him now. Actually, he became a close friend of the King (who's already visited his family after his death).


Carrillo, who was the only congressman not to bend down during the 23-F coup d'etat attempt, leaded the PCE to a huge defeat in 1982, when the party only won 4 seats in the Congress, while the PSOE captured 202. Then, he continue his moderate way, and during his final year he was a supporter of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, when no one was, not even in the Socialist Party.

He loved smoking, he always had a cigarette in his hands.



Here you have Santiago Carrillo talking to Manuel Fraga, a Minister of Franco who then became "Alianza Popular" leader and PP founder. He died three months ago. The joke here was "who' going to die first, Carrillo or Fraga?". Carrillo won





Carrillo will be missed. Rest in peace, Santiago!

You can read more about him (in English!!) here:

http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/09/18/inenglish/1347991127_870732.html

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Certainly an interesting man. Grauniad obit here and worth a read: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/18/santiago-carrillo

[Vosem]

An FF in the literal sense of the word; may he RIP.

[big bad fab]

Well, he was also clearly on Stalin's line then, which wasn't automatically the best thing for the left during the Civil War... Just sayin', I'm not at all a specialist of the Civil War, but I'm always careful not to transform someone in a Great Hero and a Saint only because he is dead.

What I simply wanted to say initially is that there is absolutely nothing in the French medias about his death, which is amazing, as he was -whatever I said before- a big guy in Spanish politics and history.
Another opportunity to despise those stupid French medias !

[Zioneer]

Well, he was also clearly on Stalin's line then, which wasn't automatically the best thing for the left during the Civil War... Just sayin', I'm not at all a specialist of the Civil War, but I'm always careful not to transform someone in a Great Hero and a Saint only because he is dead.

What I simply wanted to say initially is that there is absolutely nothing in the French medias about his death, which is amazing, as he was -whatever I said before- a big guy in Spanish politics and history.
Another opportunity to despise those stupid French medias !

He's probably much better than Franco though.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well, he was also clearly on Stalin's line then, which wasn't automatically the best thing for the left during the Civil War... Just sayin', I'm not at all a specialist of the Civil War, but I'm always careful not to transform someone in a Great Hero and a Saint only because he is dead.

It's fairly clear that he did things during the Civil War that were unconscionable. It's also fairly clear that his actions during the transition to democracy decades later were almost wholly admirable (a remarkable thing given the fact that he was leading a Communist Party at the time). People can be complicated and their lives complex, yes.

[Niemeyerite]

Well, he was also clearly on Stalin's line then, which wasn't automatically the best thing for the left during the Civil War... Just sayin', I'm not at all a specialist of the Civil War, but I'm always careful not to transform someone in a Great Hero and a Saint only because he is dead.

What I simply wanted to say initially is that there is absolutely nothing in the French medias about his death, which is amazing, as he was -whatever I said before- a big guy in Spanish politics and history.
Another opportunity to despise those stupid French medias !

Here you have:

http://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2012/09/19/avec-santiago-carillo-mort-a-97-ans-disparait-une-figure-de-l-espagne-du-xxeme-siecle_1762367_3382.html?xtmc=santiago_carrillo&xtcr=1

[Hash]

Well, he was also clearly on Stalin's line then, which wasn't automatically the best thing for the left during the Civil War... Just sayin', I'm not at all a specialist of the Civil War, but I'm always careful not to transform someone in a Great Hero and a Saint only because he is dead.

What I simply wanted to say initially is that there is absolutely nothing in the French medias about his death, which is amazing, as he was -whatever I said before- a big guy in Spanish politics and history.
Another opportunity to despise those stupid French medias !

He's probably much better than Franco though.

No sh**t Sherlock.

[Simfan34]

The famous Communist leader, Santiago Carrillo (1915-2012), a key person during the Transition, died this afternoon at the age of 97. He was considered a hero by republicans during and after the Civil War, and was the 'communist demon' of the franquism. Carrillo played an important role in the defense of Madrid, which ul......

http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/09/18/inenglish/1347991127_870732.html

HP

[Niemeyerite]

The famous Communist leader, Santiago Carrillo (1915-2012), a key person during the Transition, died this afternoon at the age of 97. He was considered a hero by republicans during and after the Civil War, and was the 'communist demon' of the franquism. Carrillo played an important role in the defense of Madrid, which ul......

http://elpais.com/elpais/2012/09/18/inenglish/1347991127_870732.html

HP

No way. Communists in Spain don't like him because he put democracy first.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Seems like an intresting man. Good on him for reedeming himself during the democracy process in the 70's.

[minionofmidas]

After taking a moment before realizing where I remembered the name from...

He was still alive? Amazing.

[Velasco]

Carrillo, who was the only congressman not to bend down during the 23-F coup d'etat attempt, leaded the PCE to a huge defeat in 1982, when the party only won 4 seats in the Congress, while the PSOE captured 202.

Carrillo, Adolfo Suárez and the general Gutiérrez Mellado, then Minister of Defence. It's a common place in these days that the king, Suàrez and Carrillo were the three main characters in the Spanish Transition, but the Suárez UCD dissapeared after 6 years and Carrillo failed in the electoral ground. The PCE suffered a major dissapointment in 1977, when they polled less than 10% of the vote. Communists were the most organized political party during the Franco regime and were too influential in the country's culture and politics. They expected to be a mass party like the Italian PCI. Political diferences between the internal PCE fractions ('pragmatics', 'reformists' 'pro-soviets', etc) lead to the 1982 disaster.

[RodPresident]

Carrillo failed to be Spanish Berlinguer because González had a better appeal to younger voters and occupied left-wing ground. A good what-if about Spain would be Carrillo and González joining forces to found a stronger CDS, with a broader appeal.