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A week after the Galician regional elections, the Court of First Instance nº1 of La Coruña, heard the arguments of the State Attorney, who claims the return of the Meirás pazo to public property, claiming that it was given to Francisco Franco by donors under duress and later fraudulently sold to the general. For its part, the defense of the dictator's six grandchildren uses solid arguments to demonstrate that the family is the unquestionable owner of the mansion.

To Alberto Núñez Feijóo, president of the Xunta de Galicia, personified in the cause, this judicial and media commotion will fill the ballot box with votes. He stated that in 2007 he declared that Meirás had no historical interest to be declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC), as requested by opposition groups, he has now aligned himself with the nationalist left, on an issue with populist overtones that has weighed on the electoral campaign.

The general's grandchildren have it complicated after the exhumation of the remains of their grandfather from the Valley of the Fallen. Beating the Franco in court is considered a triumph for democracy, although they insist that "it is a purely technical and legal issue of whose property is . "

The State's lawyer argues that the popular cost of 1938 to buy the pazo for Franco's summer holidays made it an official residence and not the property of a private individual. And that its expenses were borne by the Civil House, as one more public agency.

Family members recognize that this cost by ordinary Galicians and payrolls of officials and municipalities, may not have been so spontaneous, the Regime was a dictatorship, but far from threats or retaliation to those who did not give their donation.

The Pazo de MeirásEFE

With the collection, which by the way was insufficient, the so-called Junta pro Pazo, bought the mansion in 1938. An operation considered null by the Franco, since the seller, a daughter-in-law of Emilia Pardo Bazán, had not yet been legally designated as heir and there was a minor in the middle, which was not taken into account. Three years later, the sale was formalized. Francisco Franco was the buyer and as such it appears in the Land Registry without question. For the State attorney, the second sale is simulated and fraudulent. And he adds that the maintenance of Meirás was always carried out by the Galician state and public administrations, which shows that it was not private property.

On the contrary, Francis Franco assures that the adequacy of the enclosure to make it livable and the security required by a political figure was covered, as is normal, with public money, "as now the expenses of the Civil Guard that patrol the villa of Galapagar by Pablo Iglesias ". But he insists that his grandfather paid all the taxes until his death in 1975 and that from then on he was his widow and heir, Carmen Polo, then his daughter Carmen Franco and now his grandchildren, who are up to date with the expenses and maintenance of You will.

The pazo suffered a devastating fire in 1978, probably an intentional act that they did not report. "They were burned by the same people who now claim it," says Franco's older grandson. Abandoned for 20 years, Carmen Franco decided to restore it for sentimental reasons. Some works that cost him about 100 million pesetas "at the cost of a lot of personal sacrifice", assure his heirs. Franco's daughter went to the then president of the Xunta Manuel Fraga to ask for a grant, since it was a monument with history, but Fraga refused because it was private property, a useful argument for the defense.

An almost unknown character further obscures the political undercurrent of this story. It is Manuel Medina Cuadros, President Núñez Feijóo is the godfather of his son. This lawyer came to have three apartments rented in the Hermanos Bécquer building, owned by Carmen Franco. He was helping the family service personnel with his legal advice and offered to take charge of the visits to the pazo when he was declared a Site of Cultural Interest, a man of confidence. Until one day the appointment phone stopped working, visits were not possible, the website was closed and Medina Cuadros did not explain the reason for all this to the Franco. The situation caused widespread protests and Carmen Franco was fined 8,000 euros.

Three days before the death of Franco's daughter, already very ill, Feijóo's friend managed to reach her as an acquaintance of the house. What information, data or confidences were discussed in this meeting that could have been used to support the eviction of Meirás?

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

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