Portugal - Team Greece
Resistance to Dictatorship in Portugal
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Spain
A performance built from letters, testimonies and first-hand memory of life under dictatorship, created and staged by young people in Spain.
Location
Location
WP3 - Research
Pedro Biosca, born in Valencia in 1949, repaired TVs and radios from age 14. He was aware of censorship and repression, and knew of people imprisoned or executed. He sees the transition as gradual progress but worries about polarisation and urges youth to defend democracy.
Encarna Cruañes, born in Cullera in 1949, recalls not being able to vote and Valencian being banned at school. Her father knew of relatives and neighbours jailed or shot. She notes low wages and compulsory social service for women, and hopes young people can live without fear.
The interviewee, around 70, grew up in a village with her grandparents. Her family had no radio or newspapers and stayed out of politics, but she recalls poverty and a man executed in the village. She misses close community ties and worries about violence and today's isolation.
Emilio Cabedo, born in 1943 near Zucaina, spent his youth working with sheep and later in a ceramics factory. Politics barely touched his life, though he recalls a month-long strike in the Transition. He values mutual help and sincerity and hopes future generations help each other.
The interviewee, born in 1941, recalls ration books and later prosperity in Valencia and Barcelona. She says the dictatorship did not affect her family and she stayed out of politics. She sees today's situation negatively and values the work and calm of the past.
Gregorio, from Segura de la Sierra (Jaén), had a comfortable childhood thanks to family land and a flour mill, though labourers lived worse. Fugitives once stole food and a gun from the mill. He feels there is more freedom today but inequality persists, and rejects authoritarianism.
José Falomir, born in Castellón in 1950, recalls a calm experience of the late regime and a religious family; a Republican great-uncle was jailed. He believes lack of understanding and power struggles fuelled the conflict, and that we must analyse it, forgive and not repeat it.
José Olcina, from Alicante, lived through the Civil War as a child. He avoided politics, focused on work and joined Catholic Action. He values freedom and democracy, advises youth to prioritise health, work and solidarity, and is concerned about the use of decree-laws today.
He grew up under Franco in Valencia; his parents endured the war and post-war hardship. He describes a repressive, poorly informed society, rejects dictatorship and criticises political fragmentation, and warns young people about AI, online fraud and climate change.
Roberto Fernández tells of his grandfather, a Republican soldier and communist who fought in the Civil War and WWII, joined the anti-Franco resistance and served 20 years in prison. He calls for dignifying victims without revenge and recommends listening to camp survivors.
Antonio Albornoz, born in Valderrobres in 1952, moved to Castellón in 1960 and describes a normal life without repression or political involvement. He believes the amnesty closed the matter, voted for the 1978 Constitution and feels current leaders are violating it.
A focus group of 10 participants on 3 February 2025 gathered testimonies about the Franco dictatorship in Spain. Participants described fear, censorship and the constant advice to “say nothing,” along with limits on whom they could see or what they could study. Labour conditions were precarious, with only regime-controlled unions and no real protection for workers.
Key conclusions
Repression shaped daily life, and although rights have grown since, participants feel democracy can still improve. All agreed that remembering and teaching this past is essential to prevent its return.
Resistance
Holding a different opinion meant risk, and clandestine meetings could endanger one’s life, showing that resistance often happened in secret.
Memory
Schools teach little about the Second Republic, the Civil War or the dictatorship, leaving many young people unaware of this history. Intergenerational dialogue and documented testimonies were recommended to recover it.
Democratic participation
Participants called for reflection on current freedoms and the free, independent unions that were missing then. They also questioned how communism and fascism are portrayed today.
WP4 - creative process
How the performance came together — rehearsals, writing sessions, and the process of turning research into something the team could perform.
Your story matters
Do you have a story about resistance, life under dictatorship or marginalization / rights being threatened? We'd love to hear it, even if you didn't experienced dictatorship, it could be a recent experience where you've felt your rights were being threatened.
What you share here can be used in the future to complement this project. For now it will be share privatly with the team.
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