Salvador Puig Antich
Encyclopedia
Salvador Puig Antich was a Spanish
anarchist
, born in Barcelona
, and active during the 1960s. A member of the Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación
(MIL), he was executed by the Francoist regime after being tried by a military tribunal and found guilty of the death of a Guardia Civil policeman. His execution was very unpopular; the Catalan painter Antoni Tàpies
made a series of lithographs
called "Assassins" and displayed them in the Galerie Maeght
in Paris, in honour of Puig Antich's memory . The Groupes d'action révolutionnaire internationalistes
(GARI) were also formed after his death.
, a Catalan political movement, during the times of the Second Spanish Republic
. After being exiled in France
in a refugee camp in Argelès-sur-Mer
, he was condemned to death upon his return to Spain although he was reprieved.
Salvador began studying in the religious school La Salle Bonanova until he was expelled for indiscipline, after that he studied intern in Els Salesians de Mataró
. From the age of 16, Salvador combined office work with night studies at the Maragall Institute, where he made friends with Xavier Garriga and the Solé Sugranyes brothers (Oriol and Ignasi), who would be future comrades of him in the Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación
(MIL), an anarchist group fighting against the Franco regime and capitalism.
The events of May 1968 in France were decisive in Puig Antich deciding to involve himself in the fight against the Franco dictatorship. His first involvement was in the Workers' Commissions
("Comisiones Obreras" CCOO), formed partly by the Student Commission of the Maragall Institute. Ideologically, he quickly became attracted to anarchist positions, that reject any type of hierarchy and coercion within political organizations and unions in the fight for the emancipation of the working classes. After beginning university studies in Economics, Puig Antich did military service in Ibiza
, working in the barrack's clinic. Upon completing his service, Puig Antich became part of the MIL, as a part of its military branch. Puig Antich participated in the group's actions, which mostly meant being a driver during bank robberies ("expropriations
"). The money gained went to promote the group's clandestine publications, and to support strikers and detained workers.
Puig Antich and his comrades moved around easily in clandestine circles and often travelled to the south of France, where they linked up with the old militants of the CNT-F.
They congregated in August 1973 in France to hold a MIL conference. The following month, after an attack on an office of the Savings and Pension Bank of Barcelona "La Caixa", a strong offensive against the MIL began.
First to fall in this offensive were Oriol Sole Sugranyes and Josep Lluis Pons Llobet, and then Santi Soler, who was detained, interrogated, and tortured, finally confessing the secret meeting places of his comrades. Soler was used as a trap by plainclothes officers to detain Xavier Garriga and Puig Antich. The meticulously prepared operation took place on September 25, 1973 in Barcelona. The two anarchists were detained, and immediately afterwards, a shootout occurred in which Puig Antich was badly injured and a young Guardia Civil Francisco Anguas Barragán was killed.
Puig Antich was jailed, accused of having fired the shots that killed Anguas Barragan, and after being tried by a court martial he was condemned to death. In some parts of Europe, and as far away as Argentina, there were demonstrations demanding the commutation of the execution, but Franco stayed firm and did not concede, although matters were in doubt until the day of his death. Puig Antich, then 25 years old, was executed by garrote
in a cell of the central Barcelona jail (La Model) on March 2 at 9:40 am.
Along with the execution of Heinz Chez on the same day, this was the last use of the garrote as a method of execution in Spain.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
anarchist
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, born in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, and active during the 1960s. A member of the Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación
Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación
The Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación was a Catalan ultra-left armed group between 1971 and 1973, based mainly in Barcelona, Spain, and in Toulouse, France. It became famous after its dissolving because of the execution by the Francoist regime of one of its members, Salvador Puig Antich, in March...
(MIL), he was executed by the Francoist regime after being tried by a military tribunal and found guilty of the death of a Guardia Civil policeman. His execution was very unpopular; the Catalan painter Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies
Antoni Tàpies i Puig, 1st Marquess of Tàpies is a Catalan painter. He is one of the most famous European artists of his generation. After studying law for 3 years, he devoted himself from 1943 onwards only to his painting...
made a series of lithographs
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
called "Assassins" and displayed them in the Galerie Maeght
Galerie Maeght
The Galerie Maeght is a gallery of modern art, in Cannes and Paris, France, and Barcelona, Spain.The gallery was founded in 1936 in Cannes. The Paris gallery was started in 1946 by Aimé Maeght. The artists exhibited are mainly from France and Spain....
in Paris, in honour of Puig Antich's memory . The Groupes d'action révolutionnaire internationalistes
Groupes d'action révolutionnaire internationalistes
The Groupes d'action révolutionnaire internationalistes were an anti-imperialist group in France in the 1970s. Based mainly in the south, around Toulouse, it formed after the execution by the Francoist regime of the Catalan anarchist Salvador Puig Antich and was close to Spanish anti-fascists...
(GARI) were also formed after his death.
Life
A child of a middle-class working family, Salvador was the third of six siblings. His father, Joaquim Puig, had been a militant in Acció CatalanaAcció Catalana
Accio Catalana was a political movement Catalanist the first third of the 20th century, created in 1922 around the Catalan National Conference, which brought elements of the Joventut Nacionalista the Regionalist League, former members of the Federal Unió Republicana Nacionalista and youth...
, a Catalan political movement, during the times of the Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
. After being exiled in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in a refugee camp in Argelès-sur-Mer
Argelès-sur-Mer
Argelès-sur-Mer is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.It lies near Perpignan.-Geography:...
, he was condemned to death upon his return to Spain although he was reprieved.
Salvador began studying in the religious school La Salle Bonanova until he was expelled for indiscipline, after that he studied intern in Els Salesians de Mataró
Mataró
Mataró is the capital and largest city of the comarca of the Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, to the north-east of Barcelona. , it...
. From the age of 16, Salvador combined office work with night studies at the Maragall Institute, where he made friends with Xavier Garriga and the Solé Sugranyes brothers (Oriol and Ignasi), who would be future comrades of him in the Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación
Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación
The Movimiento Ibérico de Liberación was a Catalan ultra-left armed group between 1971 and 1973, based mainly in Barcelona, Spain, and in Toulouse, France. It became famous after its dissolving because of the execution by the Francoist regime of one of its members, Salvador Puig Antich, in March...
(MIL), an anarchist group fighting against the Franco regime and capitalism.
The events of May 1968 in France were decisive in Puig Antich deciding to involve himself in the fight against the Franco dictatorship. His first involvement was in the Workers' Commissions
Workers' Commissions
The Workers' Commissions since the 1970s has become the largest trade union in Spain. It has more than one million members and is the most successful union in labor elections, competing with the socialist Unión General de Trabajadores , with the syndicalist Confederación General del Trabajo ...
("Comisiones Obreras" CCOO), formed partly by the Student Commission of the Maragall Institute. Ideologically, he quickly became attracted to anarchist positions, that reject any type of hierarchy and coercion within political organizations and unions in the fight for the emancipation of the working classes. After beginning university studies in Economics, Puig Antich did military service in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
, working in the barrack's clinic. Upon completing his service, Puig Antich became part of the MIL, as a part of its military branch. Puig Antich participated in the group's actions, which mostly meant being a driver during bank robberies ("expropriations
Illegalism
Illegalism is an anarchist philosophy that developed primarily in France, Italy, Belgium, and Switzerland during the early 1900s as an outgrowth of individualist anarchism...
"). The money gained went to promote the group's clandestine publications, and to support strikers and detained workers.
Puig Antich and his comrades moved around easily in clandestine circles and often travelled to the south of France, where they linked up with the old militants of the CNT-F.
They congregated in August 1973 in France to hold a MIL conference. The following month, after an attack on an office of the Savings and Pension Bank of Barcelona "La Caixa", a strong offensive against the MIL began.
First to fall in this offensive were Oriol Sole Sugranyes and Josep Lluis Pons Llobet, and then Santi Soler, who was detained, interrogated, and tortured, finally confessing the secret meeting places of his comrades. Soler was used as a trap by plainclothes officers to detain Xavier Garriga and Puig Antich. The meticulously prepared operation took place on September 25, 1973 in Barcelona. The two anarchists were detained, and immediately afterwards, a shootout occurred in which Puig Antich was badly injured and a young Guardia Civil Francisco Anguas Barragán was killed.
Puig Antich was jailed, accused of having fired the shots that killed Anguas Barragan, and after being tried by a court martial he was condemned to death. In some parts of Europe, and as far away as Argentina, there were demonstrations demanding the commutation of the execution, but Franco stayed firm and did not concede, although matters were in doubt until the day of his death. Puig Antich, then 25 years old, was executed by garrote
Garrote
A garrote or garrote vil is a handheld weapon, most often referring to a ligature of chain, rope, scarf, wire or fishing line used to strangle someone....
in a cell of the central Barcelona jail (La Model) on March 2 at 9:40 am.
Along with the execution of Heinz Chez on the same day, this was the last use of the garrote as a method of execution in Spain.