This Wednesday, February 25, the Spanish Executive declassified the declassification of the documents related to the attempted coup d'état of February 23, 1981, which can be freely consulted on the website of the Presidency of the Government.

First modification: 02/24/2026 - 16:12 Last modification: 02/25/2026 - 14:26

The Government's spokesperson minister, Elma Saiz, indicated that this is all the documentation on the military coup that until now was classified and "that has been found."

There are 153 "documentary units" of public access by researchers, historians, journalists and any other person interested in historical events that occurred 45 years ago, when Spanish democracy began to consolidate.

Its dissemination "no longer represents a real and present risk," argued Minister Saiz, after the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, said on Monday that "memory cannot be kept under lock and key."

That day in 1981, Civil Guard Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero burst into Congress, gun in hand, commanding a group of agents from that militarized police and kidnapped the deputies and the Executive, who were meeting in plenary session to vote on the election of a new President of the Government.

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Several military leaders joined the rebellion, which was thwarted when King Juan Carlos I, head of the Armed Forces, ordered civil and military authorities, in a televised speech, to take the necessary measures "to maintain constitutional order."

These documents could help clarify some questions that have loomed all this time about the coup attempt, questions such as whether all those who were really involved in the conspiracy were tried, who could have prior knowledge but not direct participation; and the role of the intelligence services and the king.

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