Spain’s parliament has blocked the screening of a documentary exposing alleged crimes committed by the Socialist party during the Second Republic of 1931-9, an act denounced by critics as blatant censorship by the Sánchez government.
The Bureau of the Spanish Congress of Deputies revoked permission for the screening of the documentary Lo que nos ocultaron (“What They Hid from Us”) just three hours before it was scheduled to begin on Monday, May 19th. The event was organized by the right-wing VOX parliamentary group.
The Speaker of Congress, Francina Armengol of the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE), heads the Bureau that endorsed the suspension, which was justified on the grounds of the film’s content. According to the official report, the documentary contains allegations of a criminal nature against another political party with parliamentary representation—information that was allegedly omitted in VOX’s initial request for authorization.
The documentary was promoted in collaboration with the civic association “Pie en Pared” (Foot Against the Wall), led by former MP Marcos de Quinto. It revisits episodes from the Socialist Party’s role in political violence and repression during the Second Spanish Republic, which De Quinto has described as “criminal” in nature. The event was set to include interventions by both De Quinto and the film’s director, Carlos Saura.
The revocation followed social media posts by De Quinto the day before the event, in which he revealed key aspects of the documentary’s content. In response, the Bureau moved to withdraw the previously granted authorization. The main opposition Partido Popular (PP) was not summoned to the Bureau meeting where the decision was taken, raising further questions about the process.
VOX condemned the move as yet another example of the current government’s “institutional authoritarianism.” It called it an intolerable act of censorship aimed at silencing content that is politically uncomfortable for the PSOE. MEP Juan Carlos Girauta expressed his outrage on the social media platform X, denouncing the censorship as having occurred “on the very day of the premiere and despite all permissions being in place.”
