Spain kicks off events marking 50 years since dictator Franco's death

The Francoist dictatorship that ruled Spain for over 36 years is once again dividing the country as the 50th anniversary of the dictator Francisco Franco's death approaches.  

The Spanish government has launched a series of events to commemorate the occasion, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox.  

Both parties, as well as King Felipe VI, have declined to attend an event held on Wednesday to launch the series of activities. The king, however, cited "schedule reasons" for his absence, although he is expected to attend some of the planned events.   

Although the anniversary is on November 20, events of "learning and reflection" are planned throughout the year in museums, libraries, cultural centers, and many other sites.  

The first commemoration took place on Wednesday, with Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez inaugurating the event to celebrate "50 years of democracy".  

The PM warned that a new dictatorship "could happen again" and urged citizens to "defend freedom."  

"You do not have to defend certain ideas to look with great sadness and horror at those dark years of Francoism and fear that such a regression could happen again," he said. 

Sánchez defended that autocratic values and ideas are gaining ground and that fascism is the third political force in Europe and among the strongest political parties in the European Parliament.

The PM stressed that Spain is not the only country celebrating this type of anniversary. "All the countries around us have commemorated their democracies," he said. 

The reason why the proposal has been met with criticism, however, is that Franco's death did not mean an immediate transition to democracy, but rather a period of seven years before it was fully implemented, the so-called 'Transition.'