Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey
Encyclopedia
Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey (lit. "Warriors of Christ the King") was a Spanish
paramilitary
group that operated in the late 1970s.
They emerged at a time of factionism within the Carlist movement. Historically Carlism was a traditionalist, legitimist and Catholic movement, supporting a different monarchial line to the one occupying the Spanish throne. But when the succession fell to Carlos Hugo, he began to support a Titoist communist ideology under the banner of the Carlist Party
. This caused large scale conflict within the movement; many proclaimed his more traditionalist minded brother, Sixtus Henry, as Carlist regent.
Probably the most notable incident involving the group was the Montejurra Incidents of 1976, which happened during the annual Carlist pergrination to that mountain in Navarre
. During this attack, two supporters of the Carlos Hugo faction (Ricardo Garcia Pellejero and Aniano Jimenez Santo) were killed. José Luis Marín García Verde and Hermenegildo García Llorente, alleged members of this armed group, were arrested later, but were later released without investigation. The presence of known anti-communist militants from Argentina and Italy in this has left to some speculating a link to the Cold War
-era Operation Gladio
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group that operated in the late 1970s.
They emerged at a time of factionism within the Carlist movement. Historically Carlism was a traditionalist, legitimist and Catholic movement, supporting a different monarchial line to the one occupying the Spanish throne. But when the succession fell to Carlos Hugo, he began to support a Titoist communist ideology under the banner of the Carlist Party
Carlist Party
The Carlist Party is a Spanish political party that considers itself as a successor to the historical tradition of Carlism. The party was founded in 1969, although it remained illegal until 1977, following the death of the dictator Franco and the democratisation of Spain.The secretary-general of...
. This caused large scale conflict within the movement; many proclaimed his more traditionalist minded brother, Sixtus Henry, as Carlist regent.
Probably the most notable incident involving the group was the Montejurra Incidents of 1976, which happened during the annual Carlist pergrination to that mountain in Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
. During this attack, two supporters of the Carlos Hugo faction (Ricardo Garcia Pellejero and Aniano Jimenez Santo) were killed. José Luis Marín García Verde and Hermenegildo García Llorente, alleged members of this armed group, were arrested later, but were later released without investigation. The presence of known anti-communist militants from Argentina and Italy in this has left to some speculating a link to the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era Operation Gladio
Operation Gladio
Operation Gladio is the codename for a clandestine NATO "stay-behind" operation in Italy after World War II. Its purpose was to continue anti-communist actions in the event of a shift to a Communist party led government...
.