A symbol of resistance
From the very moment of his vile club execution, the figure of Salvador Puig Antich was rooted in the collective imagination. Since then, now 50 years ago, first in a semi-clandestine way, and little by little more and more present, his name, his life’s itinerary and, above all, his cruel death under the claws of the dictatorship became in a symbol, an icon and at times, even in a myth with a powerful historical charge.
An almost familiar character
Puig Antich had all the ingredients to become an icon: idealistic generosity, youth, authenticity, the epic struggle against Francoism, the serenity with which he faced fatal fate. In addition, Salvador died victim of a dictatorship that was dying but was ready to die by killing. The explicit revenge component of a regime that had suffered the blow of the attack against Carrero made the brutal execution by clubbing even more unjust.
Present in culture and the arts
Since then, Puig Antich has been present, as a character almost familiar to many people. It is impressive to see its presence in many areas of culture and the arts.
Present in verse and song
Without a doubt, the best-known poem inspired by the legal murder of Puig Antich is that of Vicent Andrés Estellés. It is a long poem, entitled Puig Antich, written under the impact of the execution. The song Margalida, by Joan Isaac, from 1976, is the great musical theme linked to Puig Antich.
The movie Salvador (2006)
The film Salvador, directed by Manuel Huerga, represented the case’s ambitious breakthrough on the big screen and contributed to making that historical episode known to a generation that had not experienced the Franco regime.
An increasingly full bibliography
Since then, a bibliography has been published that is already starting to be relevant. Apart from the aforementioned book by Escribano, we must remember La torna de la torna (Empúries, 1985), an investigation of the case signed by the collective name Carlota Tolosa.
Joan Miró and hope
There is a direct thread that links the death of Puig Antich with the painter Joan Miró. Since the end of the 60s, the artist was working on a work inspired by the feeling felt by those who were sentenced to death in Spain and awaited their fate clinging to the last hope of a pardon.