Antonio Tejero
Spanish Civil Guard colonel and failed coup leader (1932–2026)
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Key Takeaways
- Antonio Tejero Molina (30 April 1932 – 25 February 2026) was a Spanish lieutenant colonel of the Guardia Civil.
- For this reason, he was sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment for the crime of consummated military rebellion, with the aggravating circumstance of recidivism; he had previously been arrested for his involvement in the failed coup attempt during Operation Galaxia in 1978.
- His parents had moved there shortly before Tejero was born, and his father began working at a military outpost.
- Military career He entered the Guardia Civil at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza on 23 July 1951.
- In January 1956, he voluntarily took command of the Capellades line in Catalonia.
Antonio Tejero Molina (30 April 1932 – 25 February 2026) was a Spanish lieutenant colonel of the Guardia Civil. He was the most prominent figure in the failed coup d'état against the newly democratic Spanish government on 23 February 1981 when he stormed the Congress of Deputies with 200 armed Civil Guards. For this reason, he was sentenced to thirty years' imprisonment for the crime of consummated military rebellion, with the aggravating circumstance of recidivism; he had previously been arrested for his involvement in the failed coup attempt during Operation Galaxia in 1978.
Early life
Tejero was born on 30 April 1932 in Alhaurín el Grande, province of Málaga, Spain. His parents had moved there shortly before Tejero was born, and his father began working at a military outpost. The family spent the early years of the Spanish Civil War there.
Military career
He entered the Guardia Civil at the General Military Academy in Zaragoza on 23 July 1951. Tejero was promoted to lieutenant in 1955, remaining on compulsory leave in Melilla. In January 1956, he voluntarily took command of the Capellades line in Catalonia. He was promoted to captain in 1958 and posted to province of Pontevedra, where he remained until 1960 when he was transferred, at his own request, to the province of Málaga.
In 1963, he was promoted to major, and served in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Badajoz.
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