Empecinado
10-17-2013, 09:49 PM
Melchor Rodríguez García (1893 - 1972), also known as the "Red Angel", was a trade unionist and Spanish anarchist, prison officer and briefly mayor of Madrid during Spain's Civil War.
Born into a family of workers, his father died in an industrial accident. He left school at age 13 to work and help his poor family, and when was a teenager became a bullfighter ( has been the only politician who has been involved in politics at once) . Due to a severe wound , retires and works as a tinkerer , and joins the radical Anarchist union CNT , where he became one of its most prominent members . He was imprisoned over 30 times for his anarchist activities, and when her daughter was missing and asked for him, her mother used to answer: he is "his home", in jail again! In prison, he learnt how important was to respect the rights of all prisoners.
When the Civil War begins , the anarchist organizations cooperate with the Republican government , and he was elected delegate from prison in Madrid. At that time, the Spanish Communists in collaboration with Soviet agents took out from the jails the political prisoners / prisoners of war to be shot. " The crowd , terrified by the fire and the casualties caused by Fascist aviation, mutinied , joining militias and even the military guards guarding the prison , they set out to repeat the brutal act made five days before prison in Guadalajara (where 300 people were killed). " According to his words, there were more than seven hours of dialectical confrontation , insults , threats and struggles against an angry crowd that after entering the prison tried to access to prisoners to kill all them . "What those terrible moments ! ( ... ) What a battle had to be fought longer to manage to take outside all attackers making them give up . And all this before the trembling fear of my escort , who , terrified and not knowing what to do, merely watched the drama " .
During four months (November 1936-March 1937 ) he tried to stop the "Sacas" (releases of the prisioners to be shooted) facing the Madrid Defense Junta, controlled by the Communists José Cazorla and Santiago Carrillo, and confronting the Stalin's Soviet agents. He saved thousands of lives, fighting the clock and the poor state of the roads - "hurry, hurry, we can still get there in time" - and appeared when the firing squad was already formed and convicts were awaiting their fateful destination. With the support of the Minister of Justice, also anarchist Juan Garcia Oliver, stopped shipments of prisoners to Paracuellos, the landscape of the mountains of Madrid where, following the slogan of "cleaning up the rear", suggested by Soviet advisers, were killed thousands of detainees.
After the war (loss) was sentenced to life in prison first, then to 20, and finally, five, thanks to the mediation of General Agustín Muñoz Grandes, who fought in German army during WW2 and was one of the most important commanders of the Spanish army , and was saved by him when was prisoner. Backed by two thousand signatures requesting clemency for the accused, Muñoz Grandes did during the court a passionate defense of "Red Angel" which explains the reduction of his doomed. On leaving prison, he continued to develop his political activities and was again arrested and imprisoned for illegal political propaganda.
He was an Atheist, and he had to clarify it several times "If I acted humanely, was not because I'm Christian, but because I'm a libertarian". Following his principles, he refused a place in the official union and rejected a check with a lot of money that would have avoided him many economic problems offered by people who he saved. He keep on helping political prisoners using his links with important persons whom he had saved .Melchor Rodriguez was a person respectul to the religious beliefs of his wife (Catholic) and extremely affectionate with his daughter. He was not a perfect saint, he was arrogant and vain, irascible and uncompromising at times, but never greedy or interested.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-varehcrVa_A/TfBvSSwKcEI/AAAAAAAAA8U/Urf_pGIjWF4/s320/Melchor+Rodriguez+FAI+CNT.JPG
Interview:
- Why you, being an anarchist, saved the lives of many rightists?
-It was simply my duty. I always saw myself reflected on every prisoner. When I was in jail, I requested protection for the monarchists, the rightists, Republicans ... to those who were in power. Then considered myself bound to defend the same thing than I did when I was detained in prisons, which is to save the lives of these people.
- Was it easy?
-Now I can proudly say that I often risked losing one's life to save those of others. Many times in my own office I was targeted by a revolver. When I returned to Madrid after saved from death to 1,532 prisoners in Alcalá, I had to listen a tremendous insults and threats of prominent people that came to accuse me of being a fascist. I often had the opportunity to flee the Republican zone, but did not take it, because then who had been concerned about the 12,000 prisoners that were in the five prisons of Madrid, and 1500 prisoners in the Alcala prisons, and the 28 people in hiding in my house and many, many more? Only I could do this.
Born into a family of workers, his father died in an industrial accident. He left school at age 13 to work and help his poor family, and when was a teenager became a bullfighter ( has been the only politician who has been involved in politics at once) . Due to a severe wound , retires and works as a tinkerer , and joins the radical Anarchist union CNT , where he became one of its most prominent members . He was imprisoned over 30 times for his anarchist activities, and when her daughter was missing and asked for him, her mother used to answer: he is "his home", in jail again! In prison, he learnt how important was to respect the rights of all prisoners.
When the Civil War begins , the anarchist organizations cooperate with the Republican government , and he was elected delegate from prison in Madrid. At that time, the Spanish Communists in collaboration with Soviet agents took out from the jails the political prisoners / prisoners of war to be shot. " The crowd , terrified by the fire and the casualties caused by Fascist aviation, mutinied , joining militias and even the military guards guarding the prison , they set out to repeat the brutal act made five days before prison in Guadalajara (where 300 people were killed). " According to his words, there were more than seven hours of dialectical confrontation , insults , threats and struggles against an angry crowd that after entering the prison tried to access to prisoners to kill all them . "What those terrible moments ! ( ... ) What a battle had to be fought longer to manage to take outside all attackers making them give up . And all this before the trembling fear of my escort , who , terrified and not knowing what to do, merely watched the drama " .
During four months (November 1936-March 1937 ) he tried to stop the "Sacas" (releases of the prisioners to be shooted) facing the Madrid Defense Junta, controlled by the Communists José Cazorla and Santiago Carrillo, and confronting the Stalin's Soviet agents. He saved thousands of lives, fighting the clock and the poor state of the roads - "hurry, hurry, we can still get there in time" - and appeared when the firing squad was already formed and convicts were awaiting their fateful destination. With the support of the Minister of Justice, also anarchist Juan Garcia Oliver, stopped shipments of prisoners to Paracuellos, the landscape of the mountains of Madrid where, following the slogan of "cleaning up the rear", suggested by Soviet advisers, were killed thousands of detainees.
After the war (loss) was sentenced to life in prison first, then to 20, and finally, five, thanks to the mediation of General Agustín Muñoz Grandes, who fought in German army during WW2 and was one of the most important commanders of the Spanish army , and was saved by him when was prisoner. Backed by two thousand signatures requesting clemency for the accused, Muñoz Grandes did during the court a passionate defense of "Red Angel" which explains the reduction of his doomed. On leaving prison, he continued to develop his political activities and was again arrested and imprisoned for illegal political propaganda.
He was an Atheist, and he had to clarify it several times "If I acted humanely, was not because I'm Christian, but because I'm a libertarian". Following his principles, he refused a place in the official union and rejected a check with a lot of money that would have avoided him many economic problems offered by people who he saved. He keep on helping political prisoners using his links with important persons whom he had saved .Melchor Rodriguez was a person respectul to the religious beliefs of his wife (Catholic) and extremely affectionate with his daughter. He was not a perfect saint, he was arrogant and vain, irascible and uncompromising at times, but never greedy or interested.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-varehcrVa_A/TfBvSSwKcEI/AAAAAAAAA8U/Urf_pGIjWF4/s320/Melchor+Rodriguez+FAI+CNT.JPG
Interview:
- Why you, being an anarchist, saved the lives of many rightists?
-It was simply my duty. I always saw myself reflected on every prisoner. When I was in jail, I requested protection for the monarchists, the rightists, Republicans ... to those who were in power. Then considered myself bound to defend the same thing than I did when I was detained in prisons, which is to save the lives of these people.
- Was it easy?
-Now I can proudly say that I often risked losing one's life to save those of others. Many times in my own office I was targeted by a revolver. When I returned to Madrid after saved from death to 1,532 prisoners in Alcalá, I had to listen a tremendous insults and threats of prominent people that came to accuse me of being a fascist. I often had the opportunity to flee the Republican zone, but did not take it, because then who had been concerned about the 12,000 prisoners that were in the five prisons of Madrid, and 1500 prisoners in the Alcala prisons, and the 28 people in hiding in my house and many, many more? Only I could do this.