Antonio Tejero, Leader of Spain’s 1981 Coup Attempt, Dies at 93
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Retired Civil Guard Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero, rose to notoriety for his role in Spain’s failed 1981 coup and immortalized in a historic photograph taken during the attempted uprising, has died at his home in Valencia at the age of 93.
Born on April 30, 1932, in Alhaurín el Grande, Málaga, Tejero joined the Civil Guard in 1951 and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was expelled from the force after leading the coup attempt known as 23-F, for which he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for military rebellion. He served about half his term and was released in 1996.
Tejero became the face of the coup when he stormed Spain’s lower house of parliament on Feb. 23, 1981, shouting “¡Quieto todo el mundo!” (“Everybody freeze!”) as lawmakers voted to confirm Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo as prime minister. Backed by roughly 200 armed Civil Guards, he fired several shots into the ceiling and ordered deputies to the floor. Only three men—outgoing Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, his deputy Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado, and Communist leader Santiago Carrillo—remained standing.
The coup, supported by hardline military officers opposed to democratic reforms and regional autonomy, was coordinated by Tejero along with Gen. Jaime Milans del Bosch and Lt. Gen. Alfonso Armada. The plot collapsed hours later after King Juan Carlos I appeared on national television in military uniform to reaffirm his support for the constitution and democracy.
After his release, Tejero largely withdrew from public life but occasionally resurfaced with nationalist statements, including letters and legal complaints against Spanish and Catalan leaders he accused of “treason” or “sedition.”
