Operación Galaxia

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Operación Galaxia was the code word for a planned, unsuccessful attempt to overthrow a small group of police , civil guard and military personnel , which was planned in Madrid in 1978 . The aim was to stop the democratization process initiated by King Juan Carlos I and the Suárez government in Spain after the end of the Franco dictatorship .

The Operación Galaxia is named after the Cafetería Galaxia (today Café van Gogh), where the officers involved met on November 11, 1978 to discuss how to stop the democratization process in Spain .

The plan envisaged occupying the official seat of the Spanish Prime Minister (the Moncloa Palace ) on November 17, 1978, and taking hostage the ministers who would then be there for their regular cabinet meeting. The date was chosen because King Juan Carlos was then on a state visit to Mexico . The three men in charge of the operation were Antonio Tejero , Lieutenant Colonel of the Guardia Civil , Ricardo Sáenz de Ynestrillas Martínez , Comandante ( Major ) of the armed police and an unknown third Colonel . A police captain and a major of the army were also present and reported to their superiors, whereupon the attempted coup was foiled.

On May 8, 1980, the two alleged main parties, Tejero and Sáenz de Ynestrillas, were brought to justice. They were greeted in front of the courthouse with flags from the Franco era, but also insulted - a sign of the differences of opinion in Spain at the time. The prosecution requested six years' imprisonment for Tejero and five years for Sáenz de Ynestrillas and sentenced them to seven months and one day and six months and one day, respectively.

Tejero implemented a similar plan a good two years later with the occupation of the House of Representatives during the attempted coup on February 23, 1981 ("23-F").

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