Spain Seeks to Unseal Dictator Franco-Era Secrets

Spain’s government has approved a draft law to automatically declassify secret documents older than 45 years, potentially exposing long-hidden truths from General Franco’s dictatorship and the country’s transition to democracy.

The law would replace Spain’s outdated secrecy legislation—enacted during the Franco era—and align national standards with those across Europe.

If passed, archives from before 1980 would be opened to the public unless deemed a threat to national security, with an explicit ban on classifying documents related to human rights violations or crimes against humanity.