The bulk of the memorial associations in Aragon, grouped around the Memory Action Platform (PAMA), did not attend this Thursday the meeting called by the regional government to inform them about the action plans regarding exhumations for this year. .
In a statement, the 22 groups that make up this group justified their absence by the repeal of the Democratic Memory law executed by the PP-Vox Government in February and the “maintenance of Francoists in positions of power”, in reference to the two general directors. of the ultra party who were not fired despite their previous statements on networks in support of Franco’s regime.
In their opinion, the Aragonese Government’s approach towards the victims of Franco’s regime is “derogatory, revisionist and whitewashing” and they pointed out that the Executive’s interest in developing archeology actions within the research plan is inappropriate, since they consider that it reduces the suffering of the victims to a mere object of study.
His rudeness occurs a week after the leader of the Executive, the popular Jorge Azcón, announced in the midst of a national controversy over historical memory a 10% increase in the budget allocations allocated to the extraction of remains, to which the socialist Government Previously, it allocated about 100,000 euros per year.
“Before, less money was allocated to exhumations and associations came. Now more funds are dedicated and they decide not to come. “They will be the ones who have to explain it,” the president indicated after an event with young people held this morning.
The meeting, of a technical nature and without the presence of senior political officials, was attended by three memorial entities: the association of victims of the Levante front, the neighborhood association of Vivel del Rio and the association for the recovery of democratic memory of Belchite ‘Mariano Castillo’. During the meeting, these three groups have demanded that the excavations that are already underway in some areas of the community (Belchite, Allepuz, La Iglesuela del Cid or Mosqueruela) continue and that work with DNA data be reinforced to facilitate identifications. .
For its part, the administration has committed to maintaining these actions already started and even increasing them, and has called on the rest of the absent memorial associations to “reflect, attend upcoming meetings and contribute proposals.”
The controversy sparked by this disagreement has been fertile ground for political brawls. From the Aragonese PSOE, they accused the Azcón Government of “lack of respect” and of trying to “buy” the associations “with crumbs”, in addition to “inventing” a budget item for exhumations that was not contemplated in the current budgets.
The popular ones did not take long to respond, charging against the socialists for using the victims for their own interests and “inflaming society to cover their political vacuum.” They also wanted to make it clear that they respect all memorial associations and that they intend to continue working and collaborating with those who wish to do so.
Kind words that clashed with those of the first vice president and advisor of Territorial Development, Depopulation and Justice of Vox, Alejandro Nolasco, who stated that the “real problem” of these associations is that “they are running out of the beach bar and the subsidies to publish works and public indoctrination books for new generations.”
