1936: Melquiades Alvarez, a liberal in a revolutionary time

ExecutedToday.com ^ | August 22, 2018 | Headsman

[CheshireTheCat]

On this date in 1936, the Spanish politician Melquíades Álvarez was shot by the Republicans.

A centrist who disdained “two equally despicable fanaticisms … red fanaticism and black bigotry,” Alvarez (English Wikipedia entry | the more comprehensive Spanish) fell into the chasm torn by the Spanish Civil War.

The Gijon-born former barrister noted for his oratory had been in public life as a liberal back to the last years of the 19th century and in 1912 co-founded the Reform or Reformist Party. Although sympathetic to the democratic aspirations of the Republican movement, the Reform Party was cool to forcing a confrontation with Spain’s monarchy. He was briefly president of the Congress of Deputies before the military coup of Primo de Rivera. Alvarez opposed Primo, judiciously.

[SurfVT-2]

Where are the executions conducted by the left, ie Che, Mao, Stalin etc

[freefdny]

The Republicans were the left in the Spanish Civil War.
“You kill a man who only did you good,” Alvarez spat at his executioners before they opened up on him. “You slaughter in the worst way any idea of freedom and democracy, you pack of cowards and scoundrels!” (Quote translated from this Spanish-language pdf account of Alvarez’s last days.)

[fieldmarshaldj]

He would’ve been a useful idiot. You can’t “do good” for evil and not pay for it.