Francisco Laína facts for kids

Francisco Laína García (born May 18, 1936 – died January 7, 2022) was a Spanish politician. He was in charge of Spain's security as the Director of State Security. This was during a very important event: the attempted coup d'état on February 23, 1981. For 14 hours, he led a temporary government. This happened while the Prime Minister, Adolfo Suárez, and his team were held in the Congress of Deputies.

Francisco Laína's Early Life and Career

Francisco Laína was born in La Carrera, a town in the Province of Ávila, Spain, on May 18, 1936. He studied Law at university. In 1965, he joined the Spanish government after passing a special test. He became part of the General Technical Body, which meant he had an important role in how the country was run.

In 1974, he became the civil governor of León. This meant he was the main government official in that area. He stayed in this job until 1976. Then, he became the civil governor of Las Palmas. During his time there, a group called the Canary Islands Independence Movement was mostly stopped in that province in 1977.

However, Laína left his job in Las Palmas in 1977. This was because he disagreed with the mayor about building on land that was supposed to be a green area. After that, in July 1977, he became the civil governor of the province of Zaragoza. He held this position until 1980. In Zaragoza, he often had disagreements with the local government. They thought he was too traditional and did not make things easy for political groups or the regional government.

The 23-F Coup Attempt and Leading the Provisional Government

On June 13, 1980, Francisco Laína was chosen to be the Director of State Security. This was a very important job in national security. He was the first person who was not from the military to hold this position. His job was to bring all the security forces, including the Civil Guard, under one command for the first time.

On the afternoon of February 23, 1981, Laína was in his office. He was listening to the radio, which was broadcasting a live session from the Spanish Parliament. Suddenly, he heard gunshots and shouting. This was the start of the coup attempt.

Minutes later, King Juan Carlos I called him. The King asked what was happening. Laína told him he only knew what the radio was saying. He also suspected that Colonel Antonio Tejero was leading the attack on the Congress of Deputies. Tejero had been arrested before for a similar plan.

That evening, important officials decided to create a temporary civilian government. This government would work between the military leaders and the King. Sabino Fernández Campo, the King's secretary, agreed with this idea. So, many government secretaries and other important people were called to the Ministry of the Interior.

Laína was chosen to lead this group, which became the General Commission of Secretaries of State and Undersecretaries. This group usually just prepared for government meetings. But now, they had to decide if they would act as a "provisional government" (a temporary government). Laína strongly supported this idea. They all agreed it was necessary. Laína then asked Carlos Robles Piquer to write a statement for the public.

Soon after 9:00 PM, Laína appeared on Televisión Española, the national TV channel. He read the statement from the temporary government. He explained that the secretaries and undersecretaries were meeting non-stop. They were doing this on the King's orders to keep the country running smoothly. They were also working closely with the military leaders.

Around 1:00 AM, General Alfonso Armada came to Laína's office. Armada was one of the people behind the coup attempt. He demanded that Laína order the Civil Guard and the National Police Corps to join the uprising. Laína refused. He told Armada that his actions were disloyal. He reminded Armada that he should obey the King, who was his true leader.

Throughout the night, Laína stayed in touch with King Juan Carlos I and Sabino Fernández Campo. He sent six messages to the 50 governors across Spain. These messages contained clear instructions on how to handle the situation. He also spoke three times on the phone with General Jaime Milans del Bosch, another leader of the coup.

Laína also had disagreements with the head of RTVE, the national TV and radio company. Laína believed it was a mistake to show live reports of the coup attempt all the time. He felt that the best way to calm the Spanish people was to return to normal as quickly as possible. He also ordered several arrests, including a far-right civilian involved in the plot.

After the King made a televised speech condemning the coup, the temporary government discussed freeing the Parliament. They decided not to act immediately. On the morning of February 24, the coup attempt failed. The members of Parliament and the government were set free, almost 20 hours after the attack began.

Laína attended the government meeting held shortly after the release. He also joined a National Defence Board meeting later that day, at the request of Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez. He was also part of the meeting on February 25 where General Armada's arrest was decided.

Historian Alfonso Pinilla said that Laína and the temporary government played a very important role. They stopped a power vacuum and kept things somewhat normal in the country. He said Laína did this job very well.

Later Career and Retirement

After the coup attempt, the new Prime Minister, Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, supported Laína. He continued as the Director of State Security. In April 1981, he helped set up the new National Police Academy in Ávila.

In March 1981, he became the vice-president of a special anti-terrorist group. In 1982, he briefly took over as the Minister of the Interior. This happened when the actual minister, Juan José Rosón, had surgery.

On October 18, 1982, Laína left his political party, the UCD. He chose not to join a new party formed by Adolfo Suárez. After the PSOE party won the general elections on October 28, 1982, Laína left his job on December 7, 1982. He then retired from politics.

Death

Francisco Laína passed away on January 7, 2022. He was 85 years old.

Awards and Honors

• Grand Cross of Military Merit with white badge (1976)
• Medal of the Order of Constitutional Merit (2011)

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Laína para niños