Spain mourns late PM

By J Garrigós
A STATE chapel of rest and funeral procession was held on Monday for Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, Spain’s second prime minister since the return of democracy, who died on Saturday at the age of 82.

Thousands visited the open-coffin chapel of rest at the Congreso de los Diputados main hall over the weekend. Among the visitors were the royal family, the PM, current cabinet ministers and former PMs. Adolfo Suárez was unable to attend due to his severe illness.

After a procession along the streets adjoining the parliament building, the coffin was taken to the former PM’s hometown of Ribadeo, Lugo, where the funeral took place.

It was the first funeral for a former PM since the end of Franco’s regime and the first time members of the Spanish military entered the Congreso de los Diputados since the failed coup d’état of February 1981.
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