Last March, the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) estimated the resources of National Heritage and the City Council of San Lorenzo de El Escorial against the judgment of the Contentious-Administrative Court number 10 of Madrid that Madrid that revoked the urban license of the works to undertake the exhumations of the Basilica of the Valley of the Fallen, where there are 11,060 boxes with 33,833 remains of people of both sides of the civil war.
On September 29, 2023, the Court gave by null, for a form of form, the agreement of the Consistory for which a license was granted, as the appellants demanded, including the Franco Foundation.
Samples already located
Since then forensic labor were limited to Analysis of samples of the boxes already located and open in the grave chapel. The exploration of the Holy Board was pending, in response to the request of 170 families, with the opposition of the relatives represented by the Association for the Defense of the Valley of the Fallen, who do not want to “disturbance” for the “rest” of theirs and They have been pleading through the ADVC.
Now, the Government, through National Heritage, has requested another license from the City of San Lorenzo de El Escorial to be able to Expand the exhumations to more corals from Co -Camers.
In this sense, from the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory they regret It will paralyze the works as a precautionary measure.
With the green light of justice, the Executive wants to expand the exhumations to other areas where there are remains claimed by their relatives, for which he has requested a second urban license, as the Ministry of Democratic Memory has informed EFE.
This would mean that the task has been terminated in the grave would interfere directly in religious routine of the Benedictine monks.
Another option is that they intend to intervene in the side chapels, which would affect the main nave, which would have to be closed in part, although other sources even fear «A complete closure of the basilica».
Five chapels
It would be the case that five of the six chapels dedicated to the Virgin were addressed: La del Pilar, the Virgin of Loreto, the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin of Africa and the Carmenbecause that of La Merced – where the remains of José Antonio Primo de Rivera were considered to relocate.
Since the exhumations began, in June 2023, the team of forensic that works in Cuelgamuros has located remains of nine locations and has identified and delivered to its relatives a total of 29 Boxes with its relatives, from a village tank (Ávila), including the “the seven of Pajares” (Adaja) and another Borja pit (Zaragoza).
The government ensures that it has recently sent informative letters to explain to families –This has contrasted this newspaper with one of them– The difficulties found and how advances have been slowed down in recent months by the «Obstructionist work» of organizations such as the Association for Reconciliation and Historical Truth.