| Founded | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Ceased publication | 1988 |
| Political alignment | Far-right |
| Language | Spanish |
El Alcázar (meaningThe Fortress in English) was aSpanish language far-right newspaper published in Spain between 1936 and 1988.
El Alcázar was established in 1936.[1] The paper was founded as a two-sided newsletter during theSiege of the Alcázar by the defenders of theAlcázar of Toledo.[2] After the siege was lifted it became a regular newspaper within the Nationalist zone that mainly focused on military news.[3]
During a short period which spanned from 1966 to 1968, the paper opened itself to the more moderate tendencies of theFrancoist regime. However, its direction changed in 1968 andEl Alcázar renewed with its support ofFalangist ideology, especially after it was converted into the official newspaper of theConfederación Nacional de Ex Combatientes, organization grouping militants defending the essences of Franco's regime who fought in the Spanish Civil war, in June 1975.
FollowingFranco's death in November 1975 and the beginning of thetransition to democracy, the newspaper became the mouthpiece of theBúnker, a group of Francoist andultramontanist soldiers and leaders opposed to democracy. Between 1977 and 1981, they published various articles from theColectivo Almendros which publicly declared itself in favor of acoup d'état, one a short time before the23-F attempted putsch. Following the self-dissolution ofBlas Piñar'sFuerza Nueva, francoist far-right party, the newspaper published in 1983 a call for the creation of a new far-right party, materialized by the foundation of theJuntas Españolas.
The circulation ofEl Alcázar declined between 1970 and 1975.[3] Its circulation was 13,119 copies in 1975, 26,724 copies in 1976, 63,646 copies in 1977 and 66,104 in 1978.[4] The increase in its circulation continued until 1980.[3]
El Alcázar closed in 1988 as a result of poor sales.[5][6] Antonio Izquierdo served as the paper's last editor. By the end of the paper's run, circulation was primarily amongFrancoist veterans.[2]
In November 1994 theAudiencia Nacional sentenced the Spanish State to pay 3 billionpesetas (€18 million) to the owners of the defunct newspaper for discriminating it from official advertising, public subscription and subsidies by socialist governments. The money was used to pay the debts that Dyrsa, company holding the header had with the Social Security, public finances and ex-workers.[7]
Jorge Claramunt,Jesús Evaristo Casariego,Jesús Ercilla,José Luis Cebrián,Fernando Vizcaíno Casas,Enrique Jardiel Poncela,Rafael García Serrano,José Antonio Gurriarán,Alfonso Paso,Yale.