- Title: Spain rehearses for Franco exhumation
- Date: 23rd October 2019
- Summary: SAN LORENZO DEL ESCORIAL, SPAIN (OCTOBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SPANISH POLICE IN VALLEY OF THE FALLEN ENTRANCE, SPANISH POLICE VEHICLE PASSING BY CROSS IN THE VALLEY OF THE FALLEN ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS WAITING IN FRONT OF VALLEY OF THE FALLEN ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF SPANISH POLICE IN THE ENTRANCE FENCES LIMITING THE PRESS AREA, CARS PASSING BY VARIOUS OF VALLEY OF THE FALLEN ENTRANCE, SIGN READING (in Spanish) "VALLEY OF THE FALLEN" AND "CEMETERY" SPANISH POLICE IN THE ENTRANCE, SIGN READING (in Spanish and English) "CLOSED" CONES ON THE ROAD SPANISH POLICE VEHICLE TURNING AROUND, SIGN READING (in Spanish) "VALLEY OF THE FALLEN" JOURNALISTS WAITING OUTSIDE VALLEY OF THE FALLEN SPANISH POLICE PASSING BY, FENCES WITH TAPE READING (in Spanish) "SPANISH POLICE, DON'T CROSS" FENCES, JOURNALISTS WAITING TAPE READING (in Spanish) "SPANISH POLICE" MADRID, SPAIN (OCTOBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS) WORKERS IN FRONT OF CEMETERY PREPARING PRESS AREA VARIOUS OF MINGORRUBIO CEMETERY, SPANISH POLICE VEHICLE IN THE BACKGROUND WORKERS PREPARING PRESS AREA JOURNALISTS IN FRONT OF MINGORRUBIO CEMETERY SPANISH POLICE IN THE CEMETERY ENTRANCE SCULPTURE IN THE CEMETERY ENTRANCE SPANISH POLICE VEHICLE, POLICE IN THE ENTRANCE SPANISH POLICE VEHICLE, ANGEL SCULPTURE SIGN READING (in Spanish) "CONTROL, SAFETY ZONE", WORKERS IN THE BACKGROUND SIGN READING (in Spanish) "CEMETERY" VARIOUS OF DOOR WHERE HELICOPTER IS BELIEVED TO LAND SIGN OF CEMETERY
- Embargoed: 6th November 2019 13:56
- Keywords: Francisco Franco exhumation Valley of the Fallen Preparations Preps
- Location: SAN LORENZO DEL ESCORIAL AND MADRID, SPAIN
- City: SAN LORENZO DEL ESCORIAL AND MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002B2BJ7LZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Spain prepared for the controversial exhumation of dictator Francisco Franco's remains, which on Thursday (October 24) will be removed from the Valley of the Fallen after being buried there for 44 years.
Video footage provided by the Spanish government showed a helicopter, which is expected to transport the body to the Mingorrubio-El Pardo cemetery, landing on the esplanade in front of the entrance of the basilica where Franco is buried.
The ruling Socialists have long sought to exhume Franco's remains and turn the Valley of the Fallen complex near the capital Madrid into a memorial to the 500,000 people who were killed during the 1936-39 civil war he unleashed.
Several police officer on Wednesday (October 23) stood by the entrance to Valley of the Fallen, which has been closed to the public for a week.
At Mingorrubio-El Pardo cemetery, where Franco's remains will be inhumed, police were also present.
Neither the media nor the public will be allowed to watch proceedings, but twenty-two of Franco's descendants will be present for the exhumation, which is set to start at 1030 (0830 GMT) on Thursday.
Some of the family members will carry the coffin on their shoulders to an awaiting helicopter - or in the case of bad weather, hearse - which will take Franco's remains to the Mingorrubio-El Pardo cemetery north of Madrid, where he will be buried alongside his wife and the private family crypt.
The Valley of the Fallen is due to reopen on Oct. 29.
(Production: Raul Cadenas, Elena Rodriguez, Anna Valderrama) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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