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Spain Declassifies 153 Files on 1981 Coup Attempt for Public Release

The modest release is unlikely to resolve doubts about King Juan Carlos’s role, increasing pressure to replace Spain’s 1968 state‑secrets law.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s cabinet approved the declassification and said the files will be posted on the government’s website starting Wednesday.
  • The government described the batch as 153 document units comprising all the material found and said their release poses no security risk.
  • The volume is small compared with roughly 13,000 pages from the coup trials already available, leading historians to expect limited new insights.
  • On February 23, 1981, Guardia Civil lieutenant Antonio Tejero led armed officers into parliament; the next morning the king ordered troops back to barracks, a move credited with ending the coup.
  • The decision renews focus on reforming the Franco‑era secrecy framework, with a stalled bill proposing time‑limited classifications highlighted by commentators and officials.