On May 3rd, journalist Mar Padilla will present her book ‘Asalto al Banco Central,’ a riveting investigation that reconstructs a gripping episode that held Spain in suspense for an entire weekend, right after the infamous 23-F coup attempt.
The book’s presentation is scheduled for 8:00 PM at the Casa de la Cultura in Puerto del Rosario, as part of the A Contracultura 2023 Festival organized by the Culture Department of the Puerto del Rosario City Council, headed by Juan Manuel Verdugo.
The narrative unfolds around a dramatic event that occurred on Saturday, May 23, 1981. Just three months after a failed coup attempt, a group of armed men stormed the Central Bank in Barcelona at 9:10 AM, demanding the release of Tejero and others involved in 23-F, threatening to detonate explosives within the building, where nearly 300 hostages were trapped. This marked the commencement of the largest hostage crisis in Spanish history, enveloped in one of the enduring mysteries of the Transition period.
Questions abound regarding the incident: Who orchestrated the attack? What were their intentions? Was it a destabilizing conspiracy by far-right factions, or simply one of the most imaginative bank heists in the country’s history?
To unravel these mysteries, Padilla engaged in extensive interviews with key figures, including the gang’s leader, José Juan Martínez (known as Number One), along with prosecutors, judges, journalists, hostages, and even spies from the secret services. The result is a thrilling narrative woven with varied testimonies that resonates with the atmosphere of an 80s thriller.
About the Author
Mar Padilla hails from Guinardó, a mountain neighborhood in Barcelona. She is associated with LOSA SACO and Las Vegas Crypt, two punk rock bands from the pre-YouTube era. With a background in Anthropology and Journalism, Padilla spent a significant portion of her early career working with Médecins Sans Frontières, covering humanitarian crises in regions such as Somalia, Sudan, Guatemala, Cambodia, Colombia, and Ethiopia. Her experience also includes roles at the Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona (CCCB) and various social projects in the most vulnerable neighborhoods of her city. Currently, she contributes to respected publications such as El País, Altaïr Magazine, Jot Down, and 5W. ‘Asalto al Banco Central’ is her debut book.
This structured article provides insights into Mar Padilla’s literary endeavor, the circumstances of the story she presents, and highlights her background and other contributions, creating a well-rounded portrait of both the book and its author.
