Antonio Tejero, the former Guardia Civil lieutenant colonel who stormed the Spanish Congress in the failed 1981 coup, has died aged 93, coinciding with the release of declassified government documents on the attempt to overthrow Spain's post-Franco democracy.
The announcement of his death was made by the family's lawyer, Luis Felipe Utrera Molina, who then released a message from one of the former civil guard's sons (via El País):
"It is with deep sorrow that I inform you that today, February 25, 2026, my father, Antonio Tejero Molina, has passed away in the company of all his children, having received the last rites and the blessing of His Holiness Leo XIV. I give infinite thanks to God for his devoted and generous life to God, Spain, and his family. I ask for your prayers for his eternal rest. Thank you."
Tejero, who brandished a pistol in the Congress chamber on 23 February 1981, became a symbol of the coup, which was thwarted when King Juan Carlos refused to back the plot and ordered loyalty to the constitutional government. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison but served half, later engaging in far-right political activities and protests, including against the 2019 exhumation of Franco.
The newly released files reveal details about the coup's backers and internal intelligence involvement, highlighting the attempts of some plotters to minimize their own responsibility and implicate the king. Tejero remained unrepentant throughout his life, maintaining his support for authoritarian solutions and ultraconservative causes.