Benigno Andrade

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Benigno Andrade García, also known as Foucellas, was a Spanish anarchist and maqui.

Biography[]

Benigno Andrade was born in As Foucellas, A Coruña, place from where he got his nickname ("Foucellas"). He attended primary school at the same village. During his early childhood, he worked helping his parents as a peasant.

He married María Pérez, and had two children, Josefa and Sergio. His wife worked at the village doctor's house, Manuel Calvelo. Calvelo and his wife, Isabel Ríos Lazcano, run a local communist group called Sociedad Republicana Radio Comunista en Curtis.

Andrade joined Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT). On July 20, 1936, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, Galician Republicans were under attack. Andrade wanted to help the resistance, and became part of a group that tried to reach A Coruña, but the city was already taken, so he returned to Curtis.^[1] He took part on the robbery of arms in Fisteus. He also stole dinamite from the Teixeiro train station. Andrade was afraid of being caught for these robberies, so he moved to the mountains.

During the war period, he contracted diphteria. He was given shelter by locals during the period of his illness. During that time, he was called to enrolled the army, and was declared a fugitive.

Benigno Andrade became famous for avoiding ambushes. His sister, Consuelo, worked at Guardia Civil station, and was supposed to be a spy. In 1943 he joined the "teniente" Freijo group in Lugo, which operated mainly around Curtis and Ordes. He accidentally was injured in his hand, and transported by his team to A Coruña, where he underwent surgery at San Nicolas clinic, with a fake name. He was so confident in himself that he used to go watch soccer games of Deportivo de La Coruña.

In 1945, Manuel Bello, a Guardia Civil officer, was killed, and his assassination was attributed to Andrade.

Andrade continues his runaway in 1947, but with a lower degree of activity, mainly because many of his friends died in ambushes or turned themselves in. In April 1947 he moves to Pontevedra, now as the "Quinta Agrupación" leader. In October 1949 he escapes again from a Guardia Civil ambush to Riqueche, chief of Cortizas detachment.

During the period between 1950 and 1951, with the maquis detachments very much weakened, Andrade moves to the area of Betanzos, with his loyal friend Manuel Villar, Manolito. On March 9, 1952, Andrade is injured in a leg and captured in Oza dos Ríos. During the operation, Manolito is killed along other maquis and the Guardia Civil officer, Cesáreo Diez.

During the interrogation he declared that he got support from some of the local authorities. Andrade was judged in a military trial (Consejo de Guerra), and sentenced to death. He was executed by garrote vil on August 7, 1952 in the prison of La Coruña. He was buried in a common grave at San Amaro cemetery.

See also[]

• Maquis

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Eduard Pons Prades. Guerrillas españolas (1936-1960). Planeta, Barcelona, 1977. ISBN 84-320-5634-0
• V. Luís Lamela García (1993), Foucellas - El riguroso relato de una lucha antifranquista (1936-1952). La Coruña: Edicios do Castro ISBN 84-7492-608-4
• Manuel Astray Rivas (1992), Síndrome del 36 - La IV Agrupación del Ejército Guerrillero de Galicia. La Coruña: Edicios do Castro ISBN 84-7492-584-3

External links[]

• https://web.archive.org/web/20070927183445/http://www.xuvecurtis.com/articulos/historia/capitulo_18.htm
• Vida y Muerte de Foucellas
• Guerrilleiros: Vida y muerte de Foucellas