No More Fallen Roses, Please
Once upon a time there were thirteen young women, ranging in age from 18 to 29, incarcerated among 4000 other women in a prison designed to hold just over 400. Most of them were dressmakers, one was a pianist, others were simple housewives, and another a secretary. The thread that held them together was that they all belonged to the Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas, an organization that combined youth movements of both the Communist and Socialist parties. Except one, the pianist, and the eldest, who merely had a friend who was a militant.
They had all been arrested for belonging to that group right after the Spanish Civil War ended, in April, 1939. Between April and June they were arrested and sent to Las Ventas prison in Madrid, along with many others, whose names were mostly arrived at through torture of known militants, and through the services of an infiltrated police officer.
Their names were:
Yes, the organization had been instrumental during the war in terrorist activities behind the fronts. Yet, except for one or two, none of the women ever had knowledge of any attacks. In fact, the very attack they were accused of carrying out happened while they were in prison.
On July 29, 1939, a bomb ended the journey and the life of the Guardia Civil, Isaac Gabaldón, his 16 year old daughter, and his chauffeur. Later investigation showed it to have been carried out most likely by ex Republican soldiers, or other maquis. Or perhaps enemies he had made in Talavera, where he had been stationed during the war. At any rate, he was in charge of flushing out Masons and Communists for Franco. Because of that, the authorities decided to make an example of the prisoners, and on August 4, led a court martial against over 60 prisoners, accusing them of organizing the murder of the Guardia Civil, his daughter, and his chauffeur, and of leading a military rebellion. Among them were the 13 women.
On August 5, in the early hours, the 13 women, later to be baptized the 13 Roses, were led to the wall of the cemetery of the Almudena in Madrid, where they were shot for crimes they never committed.
Fast forward to this past week. The spokesperson for the political party Vox, Javier Ortega Smith, was on a television show for an interview. Talk came around to the exhumation of Franco that the courts had approved. From there it veered to the Ley de Memoria Histórica (Law of Historical Memory). Ortega assured his host that the law only mentions one side, that the other never gets mentioned, and that lies are propagated to ensure that the public only gets one story.
He asserted that few people had ever heard of the chekas in Republican Madrid, and of the thousands that were killed there. That among those who tortured, killed and raped during those years were the "so-called" 13 Roses. He justified their execution by saying that their real crimes had been whitewashed to later villify Franco's repression, which had been "normal" because during a war, "any concept of justice is lost, and strength wins out." ("...se pierde cualquier concepto de Justicia y se prima la fuerza.")
There are people who vote for this party, and people who think just like him, and even worse. People who would imprison their neighbor for their opinions. People who base their patriotism on a patch of land and others who think only just like them. People who would kill or exile others for practically nothing. This is what the world seems to be devolving into again. Is this really what we are? There are new elections in November, because in Spain, the left never agrees except to say that the right is wrong. I pray that this man and his political party are exposed for the wolves they are.
They had all been arrested for belonging to that group right after the Spanish Civil War ended, in April, 1939. Between April and June they were arrested and sent to Las Ventas prison in Madrid, along with many others, whose names were mostly arrived at through torture of known militants, and through the services of an infiltrated police officer.
Their names were:
- Carmen Barredo Aguado, 20 years.
- Martina Barrosa García, 24 years.
- Blanca Brisac Vázquez, 29 years.
- Pilar Bueno Ibáñez, 27 years.
- Julia Conesa Conesa, 20 years.
- Adelina García Casillas, 19 years.
- Elena Gil Olalla, 20 years.
- Virtudes González García, 18 years.
- Ana López Gallego, 21 years.
- Joaquina López Laffite, 23 years.
- Dionisia Manzanero Salas, 20 years.
- Victoria Muñoz García, 18 years.
- Luísa Rodríguez de la Fuente, 18 years.
Yes, the organization had been instrumental during the war in terrorist activities behind the fronts. Yet, except for one or two, none of the women ever had knowledge of any attacks. In fact, the very attack they were accused of carrying out happened while they were in prison.
On July 29, 1939, a bomb ended the journey and the life of the Guardia Civil, Isaac Gabaldón, his 16 year old daughter, and his chauffeur. Later investigation showed it to have been carried out most likely by ex Republican soldiers, or other maquis. Or perhaps enemies he had made in Talavera, where he had been stationed during the war. At any rate, he was in charge of flushing out Masons and Communists for Franco. Because of that, the authorities decided to make an example of the prisoners, and on August 4, led a court martial against over 60 prisoners, accusing them of organizing the murder of the Guardia Civil, his daughter, and his chauffeur, and of leading a military rebellion. Among them were the 13 women.
On August 5, in the early hours, the 13 women, later to be baptized the 13 Roses, were led to the wall of the cemetery of the Almudena in Madrid, where they were shot for crimes they never committed.
Fast forward to this past week. The spokesperson for the political party Vox, Javier Ortega Smith, was on a television show for an interview. Talk came around to the exhumation of Franco that the courts had approved. From there it veered to the Ley de Memoria Histórica (Law of Historical Memory). Ortega assured his host that the law only mentions one side, that the other never gets mentioned, and that lies are propagated to ensure that the public only gets one story.
He asserted that few people had ever heard of the chekas in Republican Madrid, and of the thousands that were killed there. That among those who tortured, killed and raped during those years were the "so-called" 13 Roses. He justified their execution by saying that their real crimes had been whitewashed to later villify Franco's repression, which had been "normal" because during a war, "any concept of justice is lost, and strength wins out." ("...se pierde cualquier concepto de Justicia y se prima la fuerza.")
There are people who vote for this party, and people who think just like him, and even worse. People who would imprison their neighbor for their opinions. People who base their patriotism on a patch of land and others who think only just like them. People who would kill or exile others for practically nothing. This is what the world seems to be devolving into again. Is this really what we are? There are new elections in November, because in Spain, the left never agrees except to say that the right is wrong. I pray that this man and his political party are exposed for the wolves they are.
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