Political-Social Brigade facts for kids

The Political-Social Brigade (Spanish: Brigada Político-Social, BPS) was a secret police group in Francoist Spain. Its main job was to find and stop people who were against the government of Francisco Franco. This group was a part of the General Police Corps. When Spain became a democracy, the BPS was changed into a new group called the Central Information Brigade. People who opposed Franco often called the BPS "the Social" or "the Secret."

History of the Political-Social Brigade

How the Brigade Started

The idea for the Political-Social Brigade began early in the 1900s. At that time, police units were created to deal with groups like anarchists and growing worker movements. Later, during the rule of Miguel Primo de Rivera, a "Social Investigation Division" was formed.

The BPS really started during the Spanish Civil War. In 1938, a new rule created a special office. Its goal was to control political actions and stop anything that went against the government's plans. Many of the first members came from the secret service used by Franco's side during the war. In 1940, a German officer named Paul Winzer helped train the new Spanish secret police. He was from the Gestapo, a secret police force in Nazi Germany. Winzer trained BPS agents until 1944.

The Political-Social Brigade was officially created in 1941. It also got help from another political police group, the Falange's Information Service.

A British report from 1949 described the BPS. It said the brigade watched anyone suspected of being an enemy of the state. The report also mentioned that police officers sometimes used harsh methods to get "confessions" from prisoners.

Blas Pérez González, who was a government minister from 1942 to 1957, was important in setting up the BPS and the police force under Franco.

Actions Against Opposition

Some police officers in the BPS became well-known for their harsh methods. Commissioner Roberto Conesa led the brigade in its later years. He was known for using tough ways to question people. Another officer, Melitón Manzanas, was also known for brutal questioning in his area. Manzanas was killed in 1968 by a group called ETA. Antonio González Pacheco, also known as "Billy the Kid," was another officer who used violent methods during questioning. He worked closely with Conesa.

Groups like Democratic Justice, made up of judges and lawyers, reported on the BPS's actions. They said that police often used harsh methods without being punished. Basic rights were also stopped many times from the 1960s until Franco's death in 1975. This happened mostly in the Basque Country, Catalonia, and Madrid. Judges often approved the brigade's requests quickly. Even though judges could look into complaints, they were also under the brigade's influence.

Even in 1975, near the end of Franco's rule, people held by the BPS still faced ill-treatment. This included beatings and other forms of humiliation.

The Brigade's End

The powers of the BPS were limited by new rules in 1976, 1977, and 1981. The last rule came after an attempt to overthrow the government in 1981.

The brigade was changed and replaced by the Central Information Brigade in 1978. However, it was not fully ended until 1986, when a new law about security forces was passed. Many former BPS members continued their careers in the Spanish police force. This included Commissioner Roberto Conesa, who led the new Central Information Brigade. However, officers known for being very harsh were often moved to less important jobs or encouraged to leave the police.

It is believed that the government's archives hold about 100,000 files from the Franco era, including BPS files. Other records, like those identifying the secret police members who watched opposition groups, were likely destroyed.

How the Brigade Worked

The Political-Social Brigade was part of the General Commissariat of Public Order. This group was under the main police force, which was controlled by the Ministry of Governance. In its early years, it also had connections to the Falange political party. When the Civil Guard police force worked in cities, it was part of the brigade. Sometimes, special BPS units would step in to deal with guerrilla groups.

The brigade's agents reported to governors and the Ministry of Governance. They focused on stopping anyone who opposed the Spanish government. Their actions included watching people, listening to phone calls, and reading private mail without permission. They could also hold people for a long time, take their property, and use harsh methods to question them. Even though a law called the Fuero of the Spaniards was supposed to protect basic rights, it was often ignored. The government could also stop these rights for long periods in certain areas.

Two special courts were created to deal with political opposition. These courts often handled cases that the BPS brought forward. Other courts and judges usually knew little about what the brigade was doing.

See also

In Spanish: Brigada Político-Social para niños

• Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) of Nazi Germany
• Organizzazione per la Vigilanza e la Repressione dell'Antifascismo (OVRA) of Fascist Italy and the RSI
• The Kenpeitai of the Empire of Japan
• Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado (PIDE) of Estado Novo (Portugal)
• Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa (CESID) of democratic Spain