Partisans of King Christ

Since the second half of the 1960s, the domestic political situation has noticeably complicated in Spain . The root cause was the gradual adoption in the country of the principles of a consumer society , the rejection of autarky policies, the weakening of state ideological control, characteristic of the first decades of the Franco regime . These processes stimulated opposition activity. Under the influence of the Paris Red May-1968 student unrest ripened. The left propaganda was more intense. Some of the monarchists advocated an immediate transition to the sovereignty of the king , the Carlist nominated their applicants. Critical judgments began to be voiced in the church environment. The greatest problems were created by the terrorist actions of the left - wing Basque separatists .

For all that, the ruling regime controlled the situation. There was no real threat of a revolutionary overthrow or coup. However, anxiety grew in Francoist circles. Extreme right-wing groups emerged that focused on harsh responses. Since the most noticeable fermentation took place in students, it was this environment that put forward the most radical counterstructures. Defensa Universitaria - "University Defense" - was organized with the participation of the Civil Guard and army intelligence services back in 1963 . This organization specialized in the promotion of Francoism and the power suppression of leftist opposition in students ^[1] .

In 1968 - 1969, on the basis of Defensa Universitaria, the organization Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey was formed - Partisans of the King Christ . She was led by a 50-year-old chemist Mariano Sanchez Covisa , an orthodox Francoist, a veteran of the Blue Division ^[2] . The differences of the new organization were increased frankist fanaticism and readiness to act outside the legal field, without regard to official structures (if this did not concern operational interaction).

Ideology and Structure

Ideologically, the "Partisans of the King of Christ" were rather heterogeneous. The organization included phalangists , and monarchists, and carlistists , and Catholic clerics . The unifying principles were the loyalty of Caudillo Franco , militant Spanish nationalism , Catholicism and anti-communism . Particular emphasis was placed on anti-separatism, the protection of the unity and territorial integrity of Spain.

The organization’s goal was to use force against the anti-Franco opposition. There was no clear organizational structure and command; they were coordinated only in the most general sense, conditionally closing to the leader.

The partisans have no bosses or instructions. Want to act - act.
Mariano Sanchez Covisa

Medieval Beatings

The main form of activity of the “Partisans of the King of Christ” was assaults and beatings. In this case, weapons stylized under the Middle Ages were usually used - maces , chain-linkers, morgensterns , and iron rods. The most famous action of the Franco era is the group beating of Basque priests in Ondarroa (1968) for leftist and separatist agitation. The attack on a group of left-wing Catholics on May 2, 1974 in Madrid led to the short-term arrest of Sanchez Covisa.

Militants, as a rule, did not commit murders, confining themselves to brutal beatings - the Franco state limited public violence, leaving a corresponding monopoly.

In the spring of 1975, Mariano Sanchez Covisa was spotted in the north of Portugal , where the ultra-right Liberation Army deployed the most activity. The help of the Spanish Francoists was of great importance to the Portuguese right and contributed to their massive counter-offensive in the Hot Summer of 1975 .

At the forefront of violence

The situation changed after the death of Franco on November 20, 1975 . Since mid-1976, the "Partisans of the King of Christ" have evolved from a pro-government organization into a radical opposition. They took part in the massacre of Montechurra on May 9, 1976 ^[3] , organized street counter-demonstrations, staged attacks and mass fights with left-wing demonstrators. Mariano Sanchez Covisa went beyond the Bunker leaders in his public statements: he openly stated that Franco had made a mistake by transferring the Spanish throne and the powers of the head of state to Juan Carlos I ^[4] .

Along with the neo-phalanists Raimundo Fernandez-Cuesta , the New Force of Blas Pinhar and some other right-wing radical groups, the “Partisans of the King of Christ” were at the forefront of power resistance not only to leftist tendencies, but also to democratic transformations as such.

In the summer and autumn of 1976, "partisans" were suspected of street killings of left activists ^[5] . Members of the group are suspected of resonant murder of a student Arturo Ruiz at the Madrid demonstration on January 23, 1977 . Sanchez Covisa was forced to give explanations at the trial of the shooting at Atocha Street ^[6] , which occurred literally a few hours after the death of Ruiz. The organization was accused of terrorist intimidation of political opponents ^[7] . However, the network structure of the organization, and sometimes spontaneity of actions, made it difficult to collect evidence.

It is estimated that during the period 1975-1983, 591 people became victims of political violence in Spain. Of these, 188 died as a result of organized attacks ^[8] .

Naturally, there is nothing good in violence. But violence in the service of justice, when other methods have been exhausted, I think is good. If the situation raises the question of readiness to kill, then there should be no doubt in the service of the Fatherland.
Mariano Sanchez Covisa ^[2]

Attacks and maneuvers

The greatest scale was gained in the spring of 1978 clashes in the city of Pamplona - the capital of the autonomy of Navarra . “Partisans of the King of Christ” regularly attacked leftist and Basque activists. One of these beatings occurred on April 27, 1978 . On May 10, the "partisans" encountered a Basque self-defense detachment and used firearms. A street battle ensued, as a result of which one of the "partisans" (lieutenant of the Civil Guard) died from a knife wound.

After the Pamplona clashes, the Madrid structure of the Partisan of the King Christ announced its intention to launch a large-scale armed struggle:

Because there is too much red ^[9] .

A large-scale mass brawl was organized on the Madrid campus ^[10] . However, the statement personally disavowed Sanchez Covisa:

The Basque situation is the question of the Minister of the Interior, not ours.

However, on August 24, 1978, "partisans" attacked the anarchists in Bilbao . The editors of Askatasuna magazine were burned ^[11] . November 22, 1978 , shortly after the third anniversary of the death of Franco, the "partisans" threw Molotov cocktails at a meeting of the Communists ^[12] .

The last major terrorist attack attributed to the "Partisans of the King of Christ" was the arson of the office of the trade union Workers' Commissions in Vigo on December 4, 1983 .

As the constitutional regime strengthened, the activities of the "Partisans of the King Christ" came to naught and actually ceased by the mid-1980s. Mariano Sanchez Covisa passed away in 1993 ^[14] .

At the same time, the Spanish left radicals even in the late 2000s drew attention to periodic outbreaks of power activity of the ultra-right. Moreover, they especially point to the “Partisan of the King of Christ” ^[15] and recall their long track record.

"Partisans of the King of Christ" are perceived negatively in Spanish society - for adherence to dictatorship, overt elements of fascism , terrorist reprisals. However, in narrow extreme right-wing circles, they not only remain popular, but also romanticize. So, in April 2012, unknown people painted the Republican fresco in Valladolid with the symbols of Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey ^[16] .

• New power