In Valencia, Antonio Tejero, a former Civil Guard officer whose name is forever linked to the attempted coup d’état in Spain in the early 1980s, finds himself on the brink of life and death. He is 93 years old, and after receiving the last rites, his condition is being described as critical. Despite reports of his death circulating earlier in the day, his family was quick to deny them. Nevertheless, doctors point out that his vital functions have nearly ceased.
Tejero was born in Andalusia, in the small town of Alhaurín el Grande, and chose a military career from a young age. At 19, he enrolled at the academy in Zaragoza and later served in various parts of the country: Manresa, La Cañiza, Vélez-Málaga, and the Canary Islands. In Málaga, where he served as commander, his views clashed with the democratic changes, leading to the loss of his position and a month in detention after he disrupted a rally held by pro-democracy supporters.
In the late 1970s, Tejero, together with like-minded individuals, began drawing up a plan to overthrow the government. The first attempt, known as “Operación Galaxia,” targeted the reforms initiated by then-Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez. The attempt failed, but Tejero was sentenced to several months in prison. Upon release, he did not abandon his intentions and soon became a central figure in the events of February 23, 1981.
On that day, he stormed into the parliament building, where a vote was being held on the candidacy for the new head of government. Lawmakers were trapped inside for more than 17 hours. Behind Tejero stood military officers who did not accept the new political system and the reform of autonomous regions. However, after King Juan Carlos I delivered a televised address in which he expressed support for the constitutional order, the coup lost its backing. Tejero was forced to surrender and was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for armed rebellion. He was expelled from the Civil Guard and was released on parole at the end of 1996.
In his personal life, Tejero married the daughter of a service colleague and raised six children. Some of them chose a military career, while one became a priest. He was last seen in public in 2019 at the reburial ceremony of Francisco Franco. Now, as his life nears its end, public interest in Tejero has resurfaced.
