Spanish Civil War Memory Project

Summary

Armando López Salinas was born in 1925. Armando describes himself as the son of a working family. He explains that his father held many jobs before joining the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (Iberian Anarchist Federation) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (General Union of Workers), and becoming a fighter for the revolutionary cause. Armando discusses his experiences as a "child of the war". He recalls the arrival of International Brigades, the Battle of Madrid, the Government leaving the capital, the Delegated Committee for the Defense of Madrid, and the devastating loss of the Republic. After the Civil War, the Falange incarcerated his father. Armando and his mother then began working. He relates holding occupations in public works and becoming a "professional revolutionary". Armando joined Radio España Independiente (Radio Independent Spain), became a journalist for Mundo Obrero (Workers World), worked in the clandestine press, and joined the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). He recounts life under the Francoist dictatorship, underlining the censorship imposed and the adversity of being an active militant. Armando was detained nine times and jailed three times for his participation in the PCE. He has written several books, including La mina, Año tras año, and three books about his countless travels. Armando identifies as a Communist who believes in the establishment of the Third Spanish Republic and actively works to make this a reality