Guardias civiles seek an end to military status
01 January 2004
On 22 January 2004, the Asociación Unificada de Guardias Civiles (AUGC) which represents over 22,000 members of the Spanish paramilitary police body, held its fifth Congress and launched a Manifiesto por los derechos de los Guardias Civiles (Manifesto for the rights of Guardias Civiles). The document has three main objectives: the democratisation of the force; placing it under the exclusive control of the Interior ministry (as opposed to the Defence ministry); and reviewing its military nature. With regards to the process of democratisation of the paramilitary police force, the AUGC calls for officers to enjoy the recognition of fundamental and professional rights, such as the free choice of where to live, freedom of expression, and the right to be represented by professional or trade union bodies, which they are currently denied. The manifesto also argues that improved coordination and cooperation between the national police force (Policía Nacional) and Guardia Civil would result from the new model in which both bodies come under the control of the Interior ministry, because "The citizens do not need two national police forces...that are constantly competing and are completely uncoordinated". The shift would also result in the "homogenisation" of training procedures and pay conditions. Calling for a substantial review of the Guardia Civil's procedural and legal framework to separate it from the armed forces, the document also stresses that the Guardia Civil is "not an army", and its officers "are not soldiers, but professional police officers, and they must not be subjected to military rules, orders, legislation and training". In fact, Guardia Civil officers are subjected to military discipline codes and secrecy regulations.
The Congress was attended by over 1,000 people, and the manifesto received the support of the trade unions Unión General de Trabajadores, Comisiones Obreras, the left-wing Izquierda Unida party and the Partido Socialista Obrero Español (which offered qualified support for the gradual "de-militarisation" of the Guardia Civil), whereas it was opposed by Julio Sánchez Fierro, of the ruling Partido Popular. The AUGC's president Fernando Carrillo also criticised the Guardia Civil's involvement in Iraq, arguing that its involvement would only be justified for peace-keeping purposes under a UN mandate, and not for "tasks of military occupation" a role that is inappropriate for a police body.
"Manifiesto por los derechos de los Guardias Civiles", 22.1.04. El País 23.1.04; El Mundo 23.1.04