Madrid's city council will change the names of streets which refer to former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco and his regime.
The authority said around 170 streets are still named after the general, under whose rule countless of atrocities were committed against his opponents.
A 2007 law introduced by the then-Socialist government, named Historical Memory Law, stated that all symbols related to the Franco regime should be removed, amidst opposition from right-wingers.
“We sense that the Historical Memory Law is not being fulfilled 100 per cent on the streets of Madrid,” said Rita Maestre, spokesperson for Madrid City Hall.
Calle General Yague is a major street in central Madrid named after one of Franco’s officers, who became known as the “Butcher of Badajoz” after overseeing the massacre of hundreds of civilians in the southern city. Other smaller streets remain on the fringes of the city. As well as streets with Franco associations in Madrid, there are also schools, gymnasiums and public squares.
