A passionate voice from Spain’s past

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 12

A passionate voice from Spain’s past

By

WILLIAM

CEMLYN-JONES

in Madrid

Dolores Ibarruri, a little, 81-year-old lady who has lived in Moscow since 1939, may soon get her passport to return to her Spanish homeland. Better known as La Pasionaria, Dolores became a heroine and an important part of the Leftw’ing legend during the Spanish Civil War.

It was La Pasionaria who roused the faltering work-ing-class militia to fight to the death against the Fascist forces of General Franco who were beseiging Madrid. She used the phrase “no pasaran” — they shall not pass — first used by the French defender of Verdun in 1916. She attacked the Republican Government for deserting Madrid and fleeing to the comparative safety of Valencia.

“It is better to die on your feet than live on your knees,” she said with magnificent indignation. One of the earliest “women’s libbers,” she formed a female brigade of volunteers to fight alongside the men on the Madrid front. She was one of the 16 communist deputies in the Republican Government. She escaped from Spain at the last moment in 1939 and lived thereafter in Russia. But during the long, sad years of exile in Russia, in the years of Stalin’s ruthless rule, she ceased to be a forceful figure, and became just an ageing legend. But for the Spanish Right La Pasionaria is the epitome of the Red atheist crusader against whom they, or their fathers, fought. For the ageing survivors of the Sec-

ond Republic, La Pasionaria must always be a Spanish Marxist Joan of Arc.

La Pasionaria is the president of the P.C.E. (the Spanish Communist Party). The secretary-general is 62-year-o'd Mr Santiago Carrillo, who returned to Spain clandestinely a year ago, and subsequently made several secret trips across the frontier on party business. Mr Carrillo is now a respected citizen with an official Spanish identity card and pass-

port and the offer of police protection, which he does not want. (He has his own bodyguard of young members of the party).

The fact that he is still technically only released on bail pending so-called political charges, has been conveniently forgotten. These charges, including illegal entry, will doubtless never come up for trial. However, the Right-wing “bunker” were angered by the apparent fact that, the

Government of Mr Adolfo Suarez is prepared to accept Mr Carrillo and legalise the new-look, democratic Spanish Communist Party. Extreme Rightists, such as Mr Blas Pinar, head of the Fuerza Nueva Party (who, incidentally’, spent the Civil War in safe, comfortable asylum in France) were quick to resurrect the Paracuellos affair, an alleged atrocity against Nationalist prisons that France exploited to the full.

In 1936, when the Republican Government had fled to Valencia, young Santiago Carrillo was appointed to the job. of Head of Public Order. Madrid was a beleaguered city, bombed by General Franco’s planes and shelled by his artillery. Only one dangerous exit road was open from the capital to Valencia. It was expected that the Nationalist, troops might enter the city and execute all remaining Republican officials.

Mr Carrillo carried out the order to ship out the Nationalist prisoners remaining in Madrid's jails to Valencia in a convoy of trucks. There were no Government soldiers available to provide an escort. At Paracuellos de Jarama, a few miles outside Madrid, a "wild bunch" of. allegedly Anarchists. attacked the convoy of prisoners and killed them. Mr Santiago Carrillo has been blamed for this massacre — a massacre which was made much of by General Franco's propagandists after his eventual victory in 1939. La Pasionaria, during these tragic and dramatic days, used bitter slogans, such as “kill all the Fascist beasts” — slogans which are not appropriate to these days of hopeful reconciliation.

It is not impossible that moderate members of the executive committee of the Spanish Communist Parv may’ not press too hard for the return of La Pasionaria before the elections, now scheduled for the end of May, Her return to Spain before the elections could embarrass the communists even more than the Prime Minister. However, Dolores. at present in a clinic in Moscow, is demanding her passport for her return to Spain If she gets it. as is expected, she will stand as the P.C.E. candidate for her native Bilbao in the forthcoming elections. Unless the Marxistorientated Basque revolutionary separatists, put up a very strong opponent. La Pasionaria is likely to be returned as a Deputy’ to the new democratic Cortes. Mr Santiago Carrillo, SecretaryGeneral of the P.C.E., seems a certain winner in the Asturias. — O.F.N.S. Copyright.