A principis de novembre del 1936 les tropes del general Franco s’havien plantat davant Madrid. L’assalt a la capital s’endevinava imminent i inevitable. El dia 6 de novembre, en un context de caos, el govern de la República va marxar cap a València. Una Junta de Defensa impulsada pel general Miaja es va fer càrrec dels poder militars i civil. El buit de poder va ser audaçment cobert pel PCE que va aconseguir càrrecs estratègics amb competències en defensa i ordre públic. La Consejería de Orden Público de la Junta de Defensa va anar a raure a mans de Santiago Carrillo, que en poques hores va prendre mesures per reprimir la Cinquena Columna i reordenar les forces repressives. Un dels problemes candents que van trobar les noves autoritats fàctiques va ser l’elevat nombre de presos, simpatitzants dels sollevats, que havia a les presons de Madrid que, cas de ser alliberats, podien passar a enfortir el bàndol facciós. En principi els interns havien de ser evacuats, a la practica però molts d’ells, pel capbaix uns 2500, van ser assassinats prop Madrid, principalment en el poblet de Paracuellos del Jarama. Aquestes matances van erosionar de manera determinant la imatge internacional de la República. Els fets més greus es van donar els dies 7 i 8 de novembre, però les atrocitats van continuar fins a principis del mes de desembre. La responsabilitats dels fets, compartida per diferents persones i instancies, continua essent un tema de debat.In early November 1936, the troops of General Franco were near Madrid. The capital’s assault seemed imminent and inevitable. On the 6th of November, in a context of chaos, the government of the Spanish Republic was evacuated to Valencia. A Defense Committee driven by General Miaja took over the military and civilian functions. The initial power vacuum was boldly covered by PCE (Spanish Communist Party): its leadership posts got strategic positions with competences in defense and public order. The Defense Committee’s Public Order Ministry fell in Santiago Carrillo’s hands, who took decisions in a few hours to curb the Fifth Column, suppress its actions and reorganize the repressive forces. One of the most problematic matters that Defense Committee had to assume was the high number of jailed rebel’s supporters in Madrid; if they had been released, they would have strengthened Francoist side. Initially, the inmates had to been evacuated, but actually many of them –at least 2.500– were executed near Madrid, mainly in the village of Paracuellos del Jarama. These killings damaged decisively the international image of the Spanish Republic. Most of them occurred on the 7th and the 8th of November, but this kind of atrocities continued until early December. Responsibilities on the facts are shared by different people and instances, but it is still a subject of debate
