Antonio Tejero
Antonio Tejero Molina (30 April 1932 – 25 February 2026) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil Guard (Spanish: Guardia Civil). He was born in Alhaurín el Grande, Malaga, Spain.
Failed coup
On 23 February 1981, he stormed into the Spanish Parliament building with 150 military and Civil Guard officers, and held the Spanish government hostage During that time, Spain was going from dictatorship to democracy. Tejero did not want democracy and wanted Spain to stay in the dictatorship.
His coup failed thanks to King Juan Carlos I. Tejero thought the King would support him because the King had been trained by Spain's old dictator, Francisco Franco. Instead King Juan Carlos I went on television dressed in his uniform as commander-in-chief of the Spanish Army and said the coup was wrong. The coup soon stopped, and Spanish television had pictures of the coup leaders trying to escape by climbing out of the windows of the parliament building.[1]
He was held in jail until 3 December 1996.
Death
Tajero died on 25 February 2026 at his home in Alzira, Spain at the age of 93.[2][3]
References
- ↑ País, El (1981-02-24). "El teniente coronel Tejero, una biografía repleta de incidentes" (in es). El País. . https://elpais.com/diario/1981/02/24/espana/351817210_850215.html. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- ↑ Leader of Spain's failed 1981 coup dies as government declassifies papers (25 February 2026)Reuters. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ↑ Antonio Tejero, Franco loyalist and leader of Spain's failed 1981 coup, dies at 93 (25 February 2026)Straits Times. Retrieved 25 February 2026.