The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has communicated to the families the identification of two other victims, whose mortal remains have been located in the Cuelgamuros Valley. These are the Burmese day labourer, a member of Falange, Constancio Allende; and the Zaragoza Tejero, affiliated to UGT, Luis Domenech.
With these two people, there are already 18 victims identified in the work that has been carried out in the Cuelgamuros Valley for two years. It was on June 12, 2023 when the works began.
The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Angel Víctor Torres, has pointed out that “the commitment remains intact” after two years of intense work “in which, despite the impediments -with continuous legal actions of ultra-right collectives that have delayed the work-, very good results have been obtained,” he said. In addition, the minister stressed that the Democratic Memory Law provides a response, reparation and dignity to all the victims of war and dictatorship “and proof of this is that the remains of a Republican Tejero and a Falangist fighter will be returned to their families.”
The minister also stressed that “for the first time, with the case of Luis Domenech, the victim has been identified thanks to DNA samples obtained from a deceased relative.” In this case, the permission of the family was obtained to obtain the samples of a sister of Luis buried in the cemetery of Alagón.
The 18 remains located, identified and delivered to their relatives so far come from boxes that were transferred to the Valley from the Abulense municipality of Aldeaseca (11 identified) and from the Zaragoza municipality of Borja (5 identified). To those who are added those of Constancio Allende and Luis Domenech, whose descendants will be given the remains soon.
At the moment, we are also working on the investigation of boxes from 8 other municipalities.
Torres recalled the effort that is being made so that families have as much information as possible about the progress that is taking place and that during these two years there have been informative meetings, at the same time that 155 familaires have been able to visit the labotatories installed in the Valley and have been attended by the scientific team.
Constancio Allende Sancho
Constancio Allende Sancho was born in Vallarta de Bureba (Burgos) on September 19, 1904. His parents were Valentín Allende, a day laborer by trade, and Jacinta Sancho, both also from Vallarta.
At some point in his youth he emigrated to Vitoria-Gasteiz, where he married Gertrudis Elguea and Saéz de Vicuña. He worked there as a worker.
Constancio Allende Sancho died on November 2, 1936 as a result of an action of war, being a combatant of the 1st Century of Falange of Álava. His remains were buried in Sigüenza and were transferred to the Valley on May 26, 1959.
Luis Domenech Rivas
Luis Domenech Rivas was born on June 6, 1911 in Alagón (Zaragoza), son of Sixto Domenech and Francisca Rivas. He was single, vocal of UGT and served as a tejero in his native population.
Alagón remained in the area contralada by the rebels. On August 19, 1936, a group of Falangist paramilitaries from Ejea de los Caballeros presented themselves in the town with a list of neighbours whom they were supposed to arrest. In total, twenty-seven people were taken, two of them women.
All the detainees were taken to the prison of Ejea de los Caballeros. The next day they were taken from the prison and taken to Biota (Zaragoza), where they were killed. Luis Domenech was 25 years old.
They were buried in a mass grave in the Biota cemetery and their remains were later transferred to the Cuelgamuros Valley in three collective boxes.