Tejero’s Death and Declassified Files Revive 1981 Coup Scrutiny

MADRID (Azat TV) – The death of Antonio Tejero Molina, the Spanish officer who led the audacious 1981 military coup attempt, on February 25, 2026, has ignited fresh scrutiny into one of Spain’s most pivotal moments of democratic transition. His passing at the age of 93 coincided precisely with the socialist-led government’s decision to declassify 153 sensitive documents related to the failed putsch, intensifying long-standing questions about the coup’s true instigators and the alleged involvement of King Juan Carlos I.

Antonio Tejero Molina’s Unrepentant Legacy

Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero Molina, infamous for brandishing a pistol and leading a unit of Guardia Civil into the Spanish Congress on February 23, 1981, died unrepentant, according to statements from his family and lawyer. His image, captured in the tricorn patent leather hat of the Guardia Civil, remains one of the most enduring symbols of Spain’s nascent democracy under threat. Tejero, who had also been involved in a prior coup attempt in 1978, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for his role in the 1981 events, serving half that time before his release. Five years ago, he told an interviewer, “It cost me my career and my freedom, but despite that I don’t regret having tried.” His family’s statement confirmed his death, noting he had devoted his life “to God, Spain and his family.” He remained a figure associated with ultraconservative causes, even protesting the exhumation of Francisco Franco’s remains in 2019.

Declassified Files Unveil New Coup Details

The Spanish government’s decision to declassify and publish dozens of documents on its website, aimed at providing greater transparency into the 1981 coup, has brought several revelations to light. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized the importance of “Truth, memory and democracy,” stating that “remembering the past is the best way to move forward with progress, harmony and freedom.” Among the newly accessible files is a report from the Ministry of Defence indicating that members of the intelligence service had prior knowledge of, or were actively involved in, the coup plot. This document specifically identified “six people who either knew the facts before 23 February, or who drew up operational support and then tried to cover their involvement.”

King Juan Carlos I: Renewed Questions on Royal Involvement

The declassified documents also address the persistent controversies surrounding King Juan Carlos I’s role during the coup. While the King was widely lauded both domestically and internationally for his televised address on the night of the coup, which effectively ordered its leaders to stand down and defended Spain’s democratic constitutional order, questions about the precise aims and backers of the putsch have lingered for decades. One declassified Interior Ministry file reveals that some plotters later attempted to “lessen their criminal responsibility” by trying to implicate the King himself. The report explicitly states that “defence lawyers for those who really were involved – as well as political groups and political circles sympathetic to their cause – have pushed the alleged involvement of his majesty the king as the main reason for the coup attempt.” It further dismisses these claims, asserting that they “twisted true facts, maliciously interpreted others, and come up with things that have existed only in the minds of those who thought them up.” Another document, however, shows one of the plotters lamenting the coup’s failure because they had “treated him as if he were a gentleman” when he was, in fact, “an objective to be removed.”

Spain’s Democratic Transition Under Scrutiny

The 1981 coup attempt, known as “23-F,” represented a critical test for Spain’s fragile post-Franco democracy. The swift and decisive action of King Juan Carlos I at the time was widely seen as instrumental in thwarting the military takeover and solidifying the country’s democratic path. However, the exact motivations behind the coup, and the full extent of involvement from various state actors, have remained subjects of intense debate and speculation. The government’s push for transparency, underscored by the simultaneous release of these documents and the death of its most recognizable figure, signifies a renewed commitment to confronting and understanding this complex chapter in Spain’s history.

The confluence of Antonio Tejero Molina’s death and the declassification of these historical files ensures that the 1981 coup attempt will continue to be a focal point for historians and the Spanish public, prompting a deeper, and perhaps more uncomfortable, examination of the nation’s democratic foundations and the narratives surrounding them.