Warriors of Christ the King

Guerrilleros de Cristo Rey (lit. "Warriors of Christ the King") was a Spanish paramilitary group that operated in the late 1970s.

They emerged at a time of factionism within the Carlist movement. Historically Carlism was a traditionalist, legitimist and Catholic movement, supporting a different monarchial line to the one occupying the Spanish throne. But when the succession fell to Carlos Hugo, he began to support a Titoist communist ideology under the banner of the Carlist Party. This caused large scale conflict within the movement; many proclaimed his more traditionalist minded brother, Sixtus Henry, as Carlist regent.

Probably the most notable incident involving the group was the Montejurra Incidents of 1976, which happened during the annual Carlist pergrination to that mountain in Navarre. During this attack, two supporters of the Carlos Hugo faction (Ricardo Garcia Pellejero and Aniano Jimenez Santo) were killed. José Luis Marín García Verde and Hermenegildo García Llorente, alleged members of this armed group, were arrested later, but were later released without investigation. The presence of known anti-communist militants from Argentina and Italy in this has left to some speculating a link to the Cold War-era Operation Gladio.

See also

• Batallón Vasco Español