…Differing evaluations of Fraga at his death reflect the deep division in Spanish society. The right exalts him as the statesman who reformed Francoism, co-drafted the 1978 constitution and founded a conservative party that eventually, in 1996, reached power through the ballot box. The left remembers him as an aggressive old fascist, responsible for numerous deaths of oppositionists when minister: unapologetic about his Francoist past (“Franco was one of our best rulers”), hostile to gay people (“Homosexuality is an anomaly”) and highly undemocratic in his manipulation of elections as president of Galic

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Valencia, the same city which in 2009, banned adverts promoting atheism on its buses, is now permitting ads for prostitution. No wonder they talk about the Berlusconiation of Valencian politics. Another example of the hypocrisy of the governing right-wing Catholic PP in the region. Image from El Público

And as my mate Glenn points out. “Valencia is very much the Achilles’ heel of the PP: corrupt, riddled with corruption, plagued by wasteful public spending projects which only benefit those who get the contracts. An ideal target for any socialist party that was not …corrupt, riddled with corruption and totally discredited. ¡Que no nos representan!”

Propoganda poster by Joan Miró. 1937. Help Spain. A translation into English ” ‘In the current conflict on the Facist side I see massive forces; on the other side are the people whose immense and creative resourcefullness will give Spain a vitality which will astonish the world.’”

Full version of Libertarias directed by Vincente Aranda about women militia fighters in the Spanish Civil War. Subtitled in English, Has a number of historical inaccuracies but worth watching for its excellent staging and atmosphere.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Ghost road layout for urbanisation outside small village in Los Monegros, Aragon, February 2011. A beautiful monument to local greed and corruption.

Taro was companion and professional partner of photographer Robert Capa.

More on Wikipedia

When the Spanish Civil War broke out (1936), Gerda Taro travelled to Barcelona, Spain, to cover the events with Capa. Taro acquired the nickname of la pequeña rubia (“the little blonde”). They covered the war together at northeastern Aragon and at the southern Cordoba. Always together under the common, bogus signature of Robert Capa, they were successful through many important publications (the Swiss Züricher Illustrierte, the French Vu). Their early war photos are distinguishable since Taro used a Rollei camera which rendered squared photographs while Capa produced rectangular Leica pictures. However, for some time in 1937 they produced similar 135 film pictures together under the label of Capa&Taro.

Subsequently, Taro attained some independence. She refused Capa’s marriage proposal. Also, she became publicly related to the circle of anti fascist European intellectuals (Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell) who crusaded particularly for the Spanish Republic. The Ce Soir, a leftist newspaper of France, signed her for publishing Taro’s works only. Then, she began to commercialize her production under the Photo Taro label. Regards, Life, Illustrated London News and Volks-Illustrierte were amongst those publications.^[1][2]

Reporting the Valencia bombing alone, Gerda Taro attained the photographs which are her most celebrated. Also, in July 1937, Taro’s photographs were in demand by the international press when, alone, she was covering the Brunete region near Madrid for Ce Soir. Although the Nationalist propaganda claimed that the region was under its control, the Republican forces had in fact forced that faction out. Taro’s camera was the only testimony of the actual situation

Budapest, Robert Capa Retrospective exhibition. This exhibition pays tribute to the work of legendary photojournalist Robert Capa – one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century. Here