B2 – Upper Intermediate
More than four decades after his funeral, the remains of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco was exhumed and relocated in 2019. It used to be buried in the basilica of the Valley of the Fallen. Four years later, another Fascist leader is about to reburied.
Let’s read the article and know more about this exhumation.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65370223
Vocabulary Questions:
- Define the expression “to open up up the wounds of the past“. “Madrid’s mayor said the move interested “all those who understand politics as opening up the wounds of the past rather than trying to create a future for all of us.“. Give two synonyms and use it in a sentence.
- What does the word “ploy” mean? “The political opposition has criticised the exhumation, casting it as a ploy by the prime minister to mobilise voters ahead of May’s local elections.” Use it in your own sentence.
- What is the meaning of the idiom “to go one step further” in this context? “Félix Bolaños, minister for the prime minister’s office, said Monday’s exhumation went “one step further” in converting the monument into a site that did not glorify the dictatorship.” Use it in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- Who is José Antonio Primo de Rivera and why is his body going to be exhumed?
- What is your stand on this issue? Will it pacify the victims’ families or incur an additional expense?
- What is your opinion on the left-wing government’s campaign to put an end to the veneration of the fascist civil war victory or the Franco dictatorship?
- What were the key events of the Spanish Civil War?