Josep Almudéver Mateu, a republican brigadista and veteran of the Civil War, has died at the age of 101, according to what Europa Press has learned.
The last international brigadista, a native of Marseille but residing in Alcàsser, voluntarily enlisted in the Republican army when he was not yet 17 years old – he had two weeks to go – and left Valencia with the Pablo Iglesias column to take part in the 129 International Brigade.
Two years ago he received a tribute from the Generalitat Valenciana “for being an example of the living memory of a history that must be remembered in order to advance in a fuller and more just democracy,” said the Minister of Participation, Transparency, Cooperation and Democratic Quality, Rosa Pérez Garijo.
“Josep Almudéver was one of the people who fought for this country to once again have democratic rights and freedoms, which we have now. He represents the living memory of that history that must be remembered and kept in mind precisely in order to advance in a fuller democracy and fairer, “added Pérez Garijo.
In this act of tribute, Almudéver himself commented that he preferred not to speak of the Civil War because, in his opinion, it was not an armed conflict between Spaniards but rather an “international” war with the presence of many countries in which “everyone was “.
Thus, the ex-combatant stressed that Nazi troops from Germany and Italian fascists participated in this contest to support the Francoist side. “How is it possible to say that this was a civil war?” He asked himself while indicating: “Never in life.”
“The biggest lie is that it was a civil war,” added Almudéver, who pointed out that the struggle as a militiaman “represents the will of the Spanish working people.” He considered that when he fought “it was necessary to defend this as it was from the fascists.”
The brigadista also recalled how the French Government did not hand over the weapons purchased by the Republican Government, based on the fact that the Non-Intervention Committee did not allow it, taking into account the passage that he recounted in his book ‘The Non-Intervention Pact. The poor Republic. Memoirs of the militiaman and international brigadista José Almudéver Mateu ‘.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
