Olympics, hispanism and francoist propaganda. The passage of the olympic torch through spain on its way to Mexico in august and september 1968

Abstract

On October 12, 1968, the Games of the XIX Olympiad were inaugurated in Mexico City, the first in the history of Olympism where Spanish was to be the official language. Of its many peculiarities, the long journey of the Olympic fire from Greece to Mexico via Spain stands out, despite the absence of diplomatic relations since the Spanish Civil War. For 17 days, the Olympic torch was carried through Spain, covering a total of 1286 kilometers. Beyond the Olympic protocol, the event was put at the service of Francoist propaganda by the Spanish government in its eagerness to vindicate its status as the Motherland of the community of Hispanic America. If Mexico was the host of those Olympic Games, Spain presented itself as the world capital of Hispanicity, as will be analyzed in this article.