Exhumation to go ahead

THE Spanish Supreme Court has given the final go ­ ahead for the remains of 118 victims of the Franco regime to be exhumed from the Valle de los Caídos, the huge sanctuary dedicated to the dictator on the outskirts of Madrid.

Work to unearth the remains of the former Republican fighters in the Civil War began two years ago but was put on hold following an appeal lodged by a pro ­ Franco association.

This week the Supreme Court finally rejected the appeal filed by the Association for Reconciliation and Historical Truth, enabling work to go ahead.

According to spokespeople for National Heritage, the government body in charge of the exhumation work, the authorisation will enable “ending the suffering that this situation was causing the victims' families.”

Controversy has always surrounded the Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). A major development took place in October 2019, when the remains of Francisco Franco himself were removed