This rallying cry would have been known to Fede even though Dolores Gomez coined the phrase in madrid where the Republicans wwere under seige from General Franco’s armies.
On November 8, 1936, if you were standing along the Gran Vía in Madrid, you would have heard a stirring speech by Dolores Ibárruri, who coined the rallying cry “¡No pasarán!” (“They shall not pass!”).
Madrid was under siege from the fascist legions of General Francisco Franco, and the Republicans were facing an all-out battle to defend the capital city. At this early stage of the conflict, Franco had ordered a rebellion against the elected Popular Front government, opposing communism, socialism, and democracy in his bid for ultimate power.
However, Franco didn’t anticipate the fierce resistance from the citizens of Madrid, who were staunch Republicans, and the volunteer soldiers of the International Brigades. These men, and later the milicianas (women militia members), came from many countries in response to a call to defend the elected government and the Spanish Republic. This call was best articulated by a leader from the Basque Country, Dolores Ibárruri Gómez.
To Ibárruri, communism offered a world of equality, free from the greed of Spain’s aristocracy and the hypocritical opulence of its cardinals. She was tireless in her defiant speeches, giving Republicans the courage to fight the fascist army head-on.
Her full slogan was:
“¡Viva el Frente Popular! ¡Viva la unión de todos los antifascistas! ¡Viva la República del pueblo! ¡Los fascistas no pasarán! ¡No pasarán!”
(“Long live the Popular Front! Long live the union of all anti-fascists! Long live the Republic of the people! The fascists shall not pass! They shall not pass!”)
In my novel “Fede’s Letters,” the protagonist Fede uses the phrase “No pasarán” when she’s up against Franco’s soldiers in the mountains of Galicia and doesn’t belive she will get out alive. This phrase gave her the courage needed to fight for the Republicans. I believe she would have known about Dolores and her battle cry, as she was aware that Madrid was one of the last cities to fall into Franco’s hands.
If you want to read more about how this phrase has been used since that day, follow the link to learn more. (PS: The linked content is in English.)
Jacqueline P Vincent 
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