Memory and Justice: The Annual Homage to Francisco Granado and Joaquín Delgado

• Since 2004, an annual memorial has been held in Valencia del Ventoso to honor Francisco Granado Gata and Joaquín Delgado Martín, who were unjustly executed by the Spanish State on August 17, 1963.
• The Francoist death sentences against them remain technically firm, despite ongoing efforts by families and organizations to seek annulment and restore their innocence.

The Execution and Historical Context

• The two men, associated with the libertarian group 'Defensa Interior,' were condemned in a summary court-martial for crimes they did not commit.
• The execution by garrote was carried out in Carabanchel Prison by executioners Vicente López Copete and Antonio López Guerra, both from Badajoz.
• Manuel Fraga Iribarne, founder of the party that inherited the Franco regime, signed the Council of Ministers' 'enterado' (approval) for the death penalty.
• While the death penalty was abolished in civil law by the 1978 Constitution, it remained in the military penal code until 1995.

Legacy and Commemoration

• The memorial event, organized by groups including ARMHEx, CNT, and CGT with support from the local municipality, features speeches, poetry, and a ceremony at a bust of Granado sculpted by his son, Richard.
• The event serves as a reminder of the historical repression, with participants highlighting that the original sentencing tribunal included individuals whose roles and actions are documented in works like Carlos Fonseca's Garrote vil para dos inocentes.
• The homage continues to serve as a platform to demand historical truth and to maintain the memory of those who fought for freedom against the dictatorship.