STORY: Supporters of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco gathered at his grave in the Mingorrubio cemetery on Thursday (November 20) to mark the 50th anniversary of his death.

Dozens of followers, mostly elderly citizens, left flags and flowers outside Franco's grave. The leader of Catholic Spanish Movement Jose Luis Corral gave a short speech, during which attendees did the Roman salute and sang the official anthem of the Spanish Falange, 'Cara al sol'.

Franco's body was reburied in Mingorrubio-El Pardo cemetery after being exhumed in 2019 from the Valley of the Fallen - now called the Valley of Cuelgamuros - which holds the remains of more than 30,000 people from both sides of the Spanish Civil War.

There is no official tally of people who disappeared during that time, but in 2008 former High Court Judge Baltasar Garzon put the likely number of victims at around 114,000. The government believes only 20,000 are recoverable due to the passage of time, road construction and other factors.

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Supporters honour Spanish dictator Franco on 50th anniversary of his death

VIDEO SHOWS: FRANCO SUPPORTERS PAYING TRIBUTE TO DICTATOR FRANCISCO FRANCO AT MINGORRUBIO CEMETERY / SOUNDBITES FROM FRANCO SUPPORTERS

RESENDING WITH THE COMPLETE STORY

SHOWS: EL PARDO, SPAIN (NOVEMBER 20, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS OF SPANISH DICTATOR FRANCISCO FRANCO AND JOURNALISTS GATHERED IN FRONT OF HIS GRAVE

2. VARIOUS OF LEADER OF CATHOLIC SPANISH MOVEMENT, JOSE LUIS CORRAL, DOING ROMAN SALUTE IN FRONT OF FRANCO’S GRAVE

3. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LISTENING TO CORRAL SPEAK

4. CORRAL DOING ROMAN SALUTE, SAYING (Spanish): ‘LONG LIVE SPAIN, FRANCISCO FRANCO, LONG LIVE CHRIST’

5. POLISH LAWYER, NIKODEM BERNACIAK, WALKING

6. BERNACIAK AND OTHER POLISH PERSON HOLDING FLAG

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLISH LAWYER, NIKODEM BERNACIAK, SAYING:

“Because we as Polish people, as Polish Catholics, as Polish anti-communists, as Polish patriots and nationalists, we wanted to make a sign of solidarity with the Spanish nation and with the man who, as we believe, saved Europe from communism.”

8. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LEAVING OBJECTS OUTSIDE FRANCO’S GRAVE

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FRANCO SUPPORTER, ALMUDENA, SAYING:

“(I came here) to thank Franco for saving Spain and for giving us 40 wonderful years. He lifted Spain from the miserable state it was in and took it to the ninth or eight country with the best industry. I came to thank him and to counter all the lies being told about him nonstop.”

10. PEOPLE PLACING FLAG IN FRONT OF GRAVE

11. PERSON POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPH HOLDING FRANCOIST FLAG

12. PERSON RECORDING TRIBUTES OUTSIDE GRAVE

13. PERSON LEAVING FLOWERS

14. MAN DOING ROMAN SALUTE, SAYING (Spanish): ‘PRESENT! UPWARDS! LONG LIVE (FRANCO)’

15. PEOPLE SINGING ‘CARA AL SOL’, SONG ASSOCIATED WITH FRANCO AND SPANISH FALANGE

16. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HOLDING FRANCOIST FLAGS