José Antonio Primo de Rivera death (although his sentence was commuted). Franco appointed his own brother-in-law Serrano Suñer to replace him. The reign of Francisco Franco nurtured a convenient cult of personality around the dead figure of Primo de Rivera whom Falangists dubbed "El Ausente" (The Missing One). The founder of Falange was anointed a martyr of the "crusade against Marxism." Notwithstanding the apparent veneration by the Francoist State, it remains true that the Missing One's demise had removed a dangerous opponent: Primo de Rivera had been Marquess, a doctor of civil law, a political thinker; Franco owned no comparable pedigree, no comparable education and
Miguel Primo de Rivera y Urquijo "Cortes" (parliament). His role was instrumental in that the new law made possible the new democratic reforms that would culminate in the Spanish Constitution of 1978. He worked behind the scenes to ensure the support of some reluctant members of the Cortes, most notably his own aunt, Pilar Primo de Rivera, the leader of the regime's Women's Organization, who had been a stalwart of Franco's regime. He was made a Senator by royal appointment in 1977. Miguel Primo de Rivera y Urquijo Miguel Primo de Rivera y Urquijo (17 August 1934 – 3 December 2018) was a Spanish politician, lawyer