Spain exhumes dictator Franco’s remains
Spain yesterday exhumed the embalmed body of Francisco Franco from a grandiose state mausoleum ahead of its relocation it to a more discreet grave in a country still conflicted over the dictator’s decades-long regime. The long-awaited exhumation process began at around 11:00 am with his coffin carried out of the imposing basilica at the Valley of the Fallen some two hours later. The coffin was carried by eight family members and placed into a hearse and driven to a helicopter where it was to be transferred to a grave just north of Madrid. His body was reburied alongside that of his wife in Mingorrubio state cemetery. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has made moving Franco’s remains a priority since coming to power in June 2018, saying Spain should not “continue to glorify” a man who ruled with an iron fist after the bloody 1936-39 civil war won by his Nationalist forces.
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