· The Government delegate, Carlos Prieto, is committed to guaranteeing all “the necessary human and material resources” to the Civil Guard in Catalonia by taking advantage of the act commemorating the 181st anniversary of its foundation. “The Civil Guard is also a Catalan policeman,” he said.

· In the course of the event several decorations have been awarded, among which the Silver Cross of the Order of Merit of the Civil Guard to the Abbey of the Monestir of Montserrat for its millenary.

Sant Andreu de la Barca, May 13, 2025.- The Government delegate, Carlos Prieto, has presided over the act of commemoration of the 181st anniversary of the foundation of the Civil Guard, celebrated in the general house of the body in Sant Andreu de la Barca. During his speech, Prieto has vindicated the Government of Spain in its commitment “clearly to strengthen this institution” and to “ensure that it has the necessary human and material resources to fulfill its mission”. “Believe me, we are not going to fail you,” the government delegate insisted.

In this sense, Prieto has claimed the role of the Civil Guard in Catalonia, where he has assured that “it is also and will continue to be”. “The Civil Guard is also a Catalan police force,” he said, pointing out that, together with the other police forces operating in Catalonia – the National Police, Mossos d’Esquadra and the local police – “a better operational response is guaranteed.”

The government delegate has used his speech to define the fight against organized crime as “one of our main obsessions.” Therefore, Claro Prieto has stressed that “more resources and more staff” will be dedicated. In short, the government delegate wanted to value Catalonia as a destination for both the Civil Guard and the National Police: “It will be an attractive destination.”

Past, present and future

During his speech, Carlos Prieto also highlighted the “vocation of public service and the commitment of the men and women who make up the Civil Guard to the citizenship of Catalonia”. He began his speech by showing the historical evolution of the body, since its creation in 1844, emphasizing that “181 years later, the Civil Guard has consolidated itself as a modern institution, admired and recognized nationally and internationally”, recalling the more than 80,000 total troops in Spain, of which 3,000 are deployed in Catalonia.

In the part of the discourse focused on the future of the body, Prieto also recalled the call for 3,118 new places for the Civil Guard, a fact that will ensure a generational renewal and continuous training. “Security in the 21st century requires anticipation, technology, operational intelligence and human commitment. And, in that, the Civil Guard leads,” said the government delegate.

The Abbey of Montserrat and Joan Rangel, decorated

In the course of the morning, and as part of the commemoration of the anniversary, various decorations have been imposed, both to personnel of the Civil Guard and to other goods, among which stands out the Silver Cross of the Order of Merit of the Civil Guard to the Abbey of the Monestir of Montserrat, within the framework of the celebration of its millenary. The distinction has been collected by Father Abad Manel Gasch and Hurios. Silver Cross has also been awarded to Joan Rangel, who was government delegate in Catalonia between 2004 and 2011.

The event was attended by civil and military authorities, among which the Mayor of Sant Andreu de la Barca, Marc Giribet; the Lieutenant General of the Army, Manuel Busquier; the General Cap of the 7th Zone of the Civil Guard, Pedro Antonio Pizarro; the Superior Chief of the National Police in Catalonia, Manuel Rodríguez; the Superior Prosecutor of Catalonia, Francisco Bañeres; the Chief Commissioner of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Miquel Esquius; the four Subdelegates of the Government in Catalonia and other commanders of the Spanish National Police, Spanish National Police, Police, Police and foreign Police.