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The 1812 Constitution was an inspiration to the future
leaders of the emerging states of Latin America. One
provision of the Constitution, which provided for the
creation of a local government (ayuntamiento) for
every settlement of more than 1,000 people, using a
form of indirect election that favored the wealthy and
socially prominent, came from a proposal by Mexico's
Ramos Arizpe, who would later play a key role in his
country's independence struggle.
This provision benefited the bourgeoisie at the
expense of the hereditary aristocracy both in Spain
and in the Americas, where it was particularly to the
advantage of the criollos, who came to dominate the
ayuntamientos. It also brought in a certain measure of
federalism through the back door, both in Spain and
overseas: elected bodies at the local and provincial
level might not always be in lockstep with the central
government.
Spanish novelist Arturo Pérez Reverte, who has
written an engaging account of the events surrounding
the writing the Constitution in El asedio (or, The
siege), says that the authors of the magna carta
achieved much, but could have achieved more.
"The Cádiz Cortes were a major achievement,
something quite fundamental, but it was also a missed
opportunity. The liberals were unrealistic. They did not
understand what was going on around them; they did
not understand the art of the possible. The
Constitution required other conditions to work. The
country was in the hands of fanatical priests, a
rapacious king and a reactionary aristocracy, and a
piece of paper wasn't going to change that. Which is
why it didn't last. We mistook our enemy: it wasn't the
French, the enemy was within, as time would later
show. The Constitution is a wonderful, failed
adventure, and at the same time, it is the seed of so
many other successful projects that followed it. Spain
would never be the same afterwards."
Despite its influence, the Constitution barely saw the
light of day. When Ferdinand VII was restored to the
throne in March 1814, he abolished it. Even during
those two short years, it was never really in effect,
given that much of Spain was under French military
occupation, and the other areas were in the hands of
interim administrations that were more concerned
about seeing off the French than on implementing a
new constitution.
Between 1820 and 1823, the document was dusted off
again, and then enjoyed another brief period of use
between 1836 and 1837. Since the 1837
Constitution, Spain has had six more, including the
El País/ - Internacional, Sex, 30 de Março de 2012
CLIPPING INTERNACIONAL (Civil Rights)
present one, written in 1978 after the death of General
Franco.
Teófila Martínez says that it is important to celebrate
the Constitution, saying that today's politicians could
learn from the example of their forebears. "I am very
proud of them: they were able to overcome their
differences and create something for the benefit of
Spain. It was a hugely important document - if only we
were capable of something like that today."
José María García León, a local historian and expert
on the Constitution of 1812, who has written
extensively on the subject, praises Martínez for her
work, but says that the bicentenary has been a missed
opportunity.
"The city authorities have made a serious effort to
inform people about this, and I think that people here
are, on the whole, proud. What has disappointed me is
that there hasn't been more done at the national level.
They have pretty much left us alone to get on with it.
But this shouldn't be a local thing, and I'm not just
talking about the money. How come there hasn't been
anything on the television about the Constitution,
about the events of those times, no films, or major
piece of music to celebrate this? The Ministry of
Culture has not gotten involved to the extent it should,
and neither has the Royal Academy of History. And the
Royal Family has been largely silent: we shouldn't
forget that this was a document allowing for a
constitutional monarchy; in France they cut the king's
head off."
It has to be said that the commemorations have been,
well, low key. On March 19, Prime Minister Mariano
Rajoy addressed a gathering of the great and good,
among them King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía, in the
San Felipe Oratory in Cádiz, noting in a less-than
inspired speech: "The government and all state
institutions are called on to step up their efforts to
create conditions under which all citizens enjoy
wellbeing."
"The constitutional reformers of Cádiz taught us not to
be afraid of making reforms but to be sufficiently
decisive and brave to make them," the conservative
prime minister concluded.
King Juan Carlos, for his part, said: "In the work
carried out in Cádiz in a difficult historic period, we can
find the necessary reference point and inspiration to
tackle the serious difficulties that our country is going
through at present."
The historian García León says that while the French
and the Americans held huge nationwide celebrations
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