Santiago Carrillo Spanish politician, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain Date of Birth: 18.01.1915 Country: Spain

1. Biography of Santiago Carrillo
2. Early Life and Activism
3. Role in the Spanish Civil War
4. Exile and Political Career
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Santiago Carrillo

Santiago Carrillo was a Spanish political figure and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain. He was considered a theorist of the right-wing Eurocommunism. As one of the last living veterans of the Spanish Civil War, Carrillo played a crucial role in Spain's transition to democratic governance after the death of General Franco in 1975.

Early Life and Activism

Born into a working-class family, Carrillo's father, Venceslao Carrillo, became a prominent activist in the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). From a young age, Santiago collaborated with the newspaper El Socialista and eventually became its editor. In 1932, he was appointed as the General Secretary of the youth organization of the PSOE. Carrillo participated in the Asturian miners' strike in 1934 and was a member of the National Revolutionary Committee during that time. As a result of his activities, he was imprisoned from October 1934 to February 1936. After his release, Carrillo visited Moscow and played a key role in merging the youth unions of socialists and communists into the Unified Socialist Youth (Juventudes Socialistas Unificadas).

Role in the Spanish Civil War

With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Carrillo decided to join the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). On November 7th, 1936, during the Battle of Madrid, he was elected as the leader of the Public Order Committee of the Madrid Defense Council.

Exile and Political Career

Following the fall of Madrid in March 1939, Carrillo's father became a member of the newly formed National Defense Junta, which collaborated with the Francoist regime. In an open letter, Carrillo publicly condemned his father's participation, viewing it as counterrevolutionary, treacherous, and anti-communist. He severed all ties with his father and went into exile in Paris, where he attempted to reorganize the party. Carrillo spent a total of 38 years in forced exile. In 1944, he led the retreat of communist guerrillas from Val d'Aran.

In 1960, Carrillo succeeded Dolores Ibárruri as the General Secretary of the PCE. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, he steered the party towards an independent political course, anticipating the Eurocommunist stance of the Italian Communist Party. In 1981, following the failed military coup attempt to restore the Francoist regime, Carrillo exclaimed on live television, "God save the king!"

Later Years and Legacy

In 1985, Carrillo was expelled from the PCE and founded the Workers' Party of Spain - Communist Unity, which merged with the PSOE as a faction called "Left Unity" in 1991. However, Carrillo himself did not join the Socialist Party. In recognition of his contributions, the Autonomous University of Madrid awarded Carrillo an honorary doctorate in 2005.