Balearics yet to compensate the political victims of Franco

The Balearics is one of just eight Spanish regions which have still yet to comply with a 1990 decree and pay compensation to those imprisoned or sent to concentration camps for their anti-Franco beliefs. The president of the association for former inmates and political victims, Gervasio Puerta, yesterday hit out at the fact that so far, only a handful of regions have actually complied with the decree and compensated the victims of Franco. According to Gervasio Puerta there are still some 10.000 former ex-political prisoners which have not received anything “it's a question of money, but also of dignity” he said. Some politicians are calling for the victims of Franco to be officially recognised by the government, just like the victims of terrorism. There are also serious problems for family members of the international forces who fought against Franco in the Civil War applying for Spanish nationality. Many can no longer prove they are related to exmembers, because, in many cases, the documentation was destroyed after the War for fear of being caught by the Guardia Civil, and are unable to comply with all the red tape.