Spanish Military Officer Behind Historic 1981 Coup Attempt Dies at 93

Antonio Tejero, the former Spanish lieutenant colonel who orchestrated a dramatic failed military coup in 1981, has passed away at age 93. The coup attempt, which involved storming Spain's parliament with 200 armed guards, was broadcast live on television and became a defining moment in Spanish history.

A former Spanish military officer who orchestrated one of Europe’s most dramatic failed coups has passed away at the age of 93.

Antonio Tejero died Wednesday night in Alzira, a town in eastern Spain, according to a statement from legal representatives of his family.

Tejero became infamous for his role in leading approximately 200 armed civil guards in a brazen assault on Spain’s parliament building on February 23, 1981. The attack represented the final and most significant effort to derail Spain’s democratic transformation following the 1975 death of dictator Francisco Franco.

In a remarkable coincidence, Tejero’s death occurred on the exact same day Spanish authorities released previously classified government documents concerning the 1981 coup attempt.

The takeover ultimately collapsed when Spain’s then-King Juan Carlos I appeared on national television to condemn the action, urging military forces to reject the coup and honor the nation’s new constitution.

The dramatic 18-hour siege, during which Tejero and his fellow guards held parliament members and government ministers captive, remains etched in Spanish national memory. Television cameras captured the entire ordeal as it unfolded, allowing Spanish citizens to witness the crisis in real time.

Broadcast footage showed military personnel discharging weapons inside the parliamentary chamber while elected officials dove for cover beneath their desks.

Wearing the distinctive patent leather tricorn hat of Spain’s civil guard police force, Tejero brandished a pistol and commanded “Everyone, freeze!” as he took control of the building. The raiders disrupted proceedings as lawmakers were preparing to confirm Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo as the country’s new prime minister.

Following his conviction for military rebellion, Tejero completed 15 years and nine months of a 30-year prison term.

Upon his release, he split his time between his hometown of Málaga in southern Spain and the capital city of Madrid, according to a 2011 report by Spanish newspaper El País.

Madrid law firm A. Cañizares Abogados announced Wednesday that Tejero died “peacefully, surrounded by his entire family and after receiving the holy sacraments.”