Antonio Tejero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio Tejero
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Antonio Tejero with a gun in his hand, breaking into the Spanish Congress of Deputies on 23 February 1981 attempting a coup.
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| Born | 30 April 1932 Alhaurín el Grande, Spain |
| Allegiance |  Spain |
| Service/ |
.svg){kind=small} Guardia Civil |
| Years of service | 1951–1981 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Antonio Tejero Molina (born 30 April 1932) is a Spanish former lieutenant colonel of the Guardia Civil. He is best known for leading a failed attempt to overthrow the Spanish government on 23 February 1981. This happened during Spain's move towards becoming a democracy, where people could vote for their leaders.
Contents
Antonio Tejero's Military Career
Antonio Tejero joined the Guardia Civil in 1950. The Guardia Civil is a police force in Spain that also has military duties. He started as a lieutenant. Over the years, he was promoted to captain in 1958 and then to major in 1963.
In 1974, he became a lieutenant colonel. He was in charge of the Guardia Civil in the Basque region of Guipúzcoa. He was known for his strong opinions against the Basque flag, called the Ikurriña. Because of his views, he asked to be moved to a different area. He was recognized for his work against a group called ETA.
Early Coup Attempt: Operation Galaxia
In 1978, Tejero was involved in an earlier attempt to take over the government. This event was called Operation Galaxia. After this attempt failed, Tejero was sent to prison for about seven months. He was found guilty of mutiny, which means trying to rebel against authority.
The 1981 Coup Attempt
On 23 February 1981, Antonio Tejero led about 150 members of the Guardia Civil and soldiers into the Congress of Deputies. This is where the Spanish Parliament meets to make laws. They held the members of parliament inside for about 22 hours.
As the night went on, it became clear that other parts of the army were not joining the takeover. Around midnight, King Juan Carlos I spoke to the country on television. He strongly spoke out against the coup attempt. He told everyone to support the law and the democratically elected government. The next day, the leaders of the coup gave up and were arrested by the police.
Life After Prison
After the failed coup, Tejero was put in jail. While in prison, he started a political party called Spanish Solidarity. He hoped to win a seat in parliament in the 1982 election. If he won, he would have special protection from being arrested again. However, his party did not get enough votes to enter parliament.
Antonio Tejero was the last person involved in the coup to be released from jail. He was set free on 3 December 1996, after spending 15 years in a military prison. He later lived in Torre del Mar in the Province of Málaga.
In 2006, he wrote to a newspaper. He suggested that people should vote on new plans for the Catalonia region to have more self-rule. In 2009, his son, Ramón Tejero Díez, wrote a letter to a newspaper. He described his father as a religious man who truly believed he was doing what was best for Spain.
As of 2018, Tejero was living in Madrid and Torre del Mar. He was working as a painter. In May 2018, there was a false rumor that he had passed away, but his son quickly said it was not true.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Tejero para niños
