The events in Spain marked the definitive end of Francoism. Will the
assault on the Capitol do the same for Trumpism?
Lt Col Antonio Tejero during the attempted coup in the Spanish parliament on 23 February 1981. Photograph: Manuel Barriopedro/AP
Lt Col Antonio Tejero during the attempted coup in the Spanish parliament on 23 February 1981. Photograph: Manuel Barriopedro/AP
Sat 9 Jan 2021 04.00 EST
Last modified on Mon 11 Jan 2021 06.31 EST
Tension was high, security was weak and a bitter handover of power was under way when violent intruders forced the people’s representatives to stop their debate and cower on the floor.
Future generations of Americans will identify this as a description of events at the Capitol in Washington DC on 6 January 2021. For Spaniards, however, it fits an earlier moment in history – an assault on Madrid’s parliament, the Congreso de los Diputados, on 23 February 1981.