The centenarian Esperanza Cortiña, a native of A Coruña, has been one of the recent guests of the program And now Sonsoles on Antena 3. This grandmother, who is in perfect health despite being 107 years old, went to the Sonsoles Ónega magazine to tell how she has lived the transformation of society, including two world wars, the Spanish civil war and the transition to democracy.
Esperanza, with enviable mental clarity, related how these historical moments have marked her vision of the world. In addition, she claimed to have worked “like a slave” during her professional career, but now she is fully enjoying life. She also expressed her desire to visit New York, a dream she still retains.
The old woman also wanted to give her opinion on politics. Esperanza, without mincing words, criticized Carles Puigdemont and the independentists with an unexpected comparison: “Like that guy from Barcelona, ??who sent him in a suitcase so they wouldn’t know who he was and now he’s making fun of all the Spaniards. They don’t want to be Spanish,” he said, causing Sonsoles to exclaim, “He’s putting me in a garden!”
But Esperanza did not want to stay in the political news, she also praised Franco’s dictatorship and suggested that it would be good for the country if someone like Franco governed: “Another like him would have to come. He made young people straight. Every day They kill people and women, but what is that? You didn’t see that before.”
Ónega, visibly uncomfortable, tried to correct Esperanza’s proposal by remembering the freedoms that Spaniards enjoy today, which were non-existent during the dictatorship. “You couldn’t dance,” said the presenter.
Despite the journalist’s quick intervention, Esperanza maintained her point of view in favor of Franco, implying that there was not so much repression: “Yes, yes, I could.” Therefore, the presenter had to remember that it was only the guest’s personal opinion.
