Remedios Montero Martínez

Remedios Montero Martínez (born in the Beamud Mountains, Cuenca, in 1927 – died in Valencia on October 24, 2010), commonly known as “Celia,” was a significant guerrilla fighter who actively opposed the ideals of Francisco Franco.

Celia was one of the few female Spanish guerrilla fighters during the Spanish Civil War. She was a close friend of Florián Garcia Velasco, the leader of the Guerrilla Group of Levante and Aragón.

Her life story inspired the film Memories of a Guerrilla, which also served as the basis for Dulce Chacón to write her novel La voz dormida (The Sleeping Voice), later adapted into a film of the same title by director Benito Zambrano.

Biography

First years and Spanish Civil War

Remedios Montero, known as “Celia,” joined the Guerrilla Group of Levante and Aragón when she was just a teenager. When the Civil Guard discovered her involvement with the revolutionary group, she escaped to the mountains to avoid arrest. It was during this time that she adopted the name “Celia” and became a maqui, or anti-Franco guerrilla fighter.

Celia suffered profound personal losses during the Spanish Civil War, losing both her father and her brother. Her brother was killed in an ambush by Civil Guards who had posed as anti-Fascist guerrillas. These tragic events deeply affected Celia, as she recounts in her memoirs.

Maqui Period and Exile

Celia's first period of exile began at the end of the Spanish Civil War when she escaped to the mountains and joined the maquis. She remained with other guerrilla fighters from 1949 until 1952. During this time, she met her future husband, Florián García, also known as “El Grande.”

Six years later, the guerrilla fighters were ordered to withdraw to France. Celia left the mountains and went into exile again, this time relocating to Paris, where she continued to fight for Spain's freedom.

Return to Spain

Celia returned to Spain on a clandestine mission for the Communist Party. However, she was discovered by the Civil Guard in Salamanca and subsequently detained and transferred to Madrid. There, she was brutally tortured and imprisoned. The severity of the beatings left her with permanent injuries, which later prevented her from having children. Celia endured eight years in prison, during which she was falsely informed that her close friend Florián had died.

Reunited in Prague

After her release from prison, Celia returned to exile. She managed to obtain a fake passport and fled to France before traveling to Prague on an official mission. It was in Prague that she was reunited with Florián. This emotional reunion was especially significant as both Celia and Florián had believed the other to be dead after spending nearly eight years apart. Soon after their reunion, the two were married in Prague.

Final Return to Spain

In 1978, after the death of Franco and during the early stages of Spain's transition to democracy, Celia and Florián returned to Spain and settled in Valencia.

On October 24, 2010, Celia died, just one year after the death of her beloved husband and close friend, Florián.