The Ministry of the Presidency of the Canary Islands Government revealed on Tuesday the initiation of two initiatives at the San Juan cemetery in La Laguna, aimed at enhancing the search, recovery, and identification of individuals who have been missing since the Civil War and throughout the dictatorship.
The first initiative is an archaeological project designed to uncover the remains associated with the so-called “Once de San Juan”, spearheaded by the Association for the Recovery of Historical Memory of Tenerife (ARMHIT).
Between September 1936 and January 1937, Franco’s forces and military officials executed and unlawfully disappeared 11 inhabitants of La Laguna, owing to their affiliations with leftist political parties and unions.
The second project pertains to a survey aimed at identifying victims of reprisals from the Civil War within the cemetery.
“This initiative stems from the necessity to further investigate the occurrences during the Civil War and the Franco regime in the Canary Islands, as various historical documents and oral testimonies indicate several locations in Tenerife where the remains of those who suffered reprisals might be located,” states the Canary Islands Government.
Both initiatives, carried out by the Vice-Ministry of Justice and Security, are part of line 1 of the funding allocated by the Secretariat of State for Democratic Memory, intended for the search, identification, and dignification of individuals missing during the Civil War and the dictatorship.
