Antonio Tejero

Antonio Tejero Molina (April 30, 1932 – February 25, 2026) was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Civil Guard (). He was born in Alhaurín el Grande, Malaga, Spain.

Failed coup
On 23 February 1981, he stormed into the Spanish Parliament building with 150 military and Civil Guard officers, and held the Spanish government hostage During that time, Spain was going from dictatorship to democracy. Tejero did not want democracy and wanted Spain to stay in the dictatorship. 

His coup failed thanks to King Juan Carlos I. Tejero thought the King would support him because the King had been  trained by Spain's old dictator, Francisco Franco.  Instead King Juan Carlos I went on television dressed in his uniform as commander-in-chief of the Spanish Army and said the coup was wrong.  The coup soon stopped, and Spanish television had pictures of the coup leaders trying to escape by climbing out of the windows of the parliament building.

He was held in jail until 3 December 1996.

Death
Tajero died on 25 February 2026 at his home in Alzira, Spain at the age of 93.

References

Category:1932 births
Category:2026 deaths
Category:Spanish military people
Category:People from Malaga
Category:People from Valencia
Category:Spanish politicians