Gandía firing squad victims' exhumation postponed until next year

UNEARTHING the bodies of 62 victims of dictator General Franco's firing squads from common graves in Gandía cemetery has been postponed until next year due to the pandemic.

Radars have located a trench after local resident José Albero, 88, reported he had been a child of seven when he witnessed his own father, Tomás, being executed along with dozens of others back in 1940, forced to stand on the edge of their open graves, knowing they would be buried in them within minutes.

Albero says he will 'never forget the place of blood and limestone' which marked his childhood.

His early memories have proven vital in tracing the pits where 62 men, who have already been named, were heaped up in unmarked graves. Gandía's local historian and archivist Bernat Martí and archaeologist Miguel Mezquida say they would otherwise have been searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Detailed testimonials have already been taken from relatives, along with DNA samples, but the pandemic has held up the administrative procedure needed to enable the excavation to take place.

Chairwoman of the families' association, Nuria Martín says she has spoken to Sr Mezquida, who confirmed that an agreement will be signed between the provincial government and the firm which will be exhuming the victims, Arqueoantro, to begin uncovering the trench along the right-hand side of the cemetery.

But none of this will start until 2021, she says, because of lockdown having forced much of the background work to be shelved for three months.