El año del descubrimiento / The Year of Discovery

In 1992, two major events took place in Spain: the Barcelona Olympic Games and the Universal Exposition in Seville, linked to the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Discovery of America. Ten years after the rise to power of Felipe González’s PSOE, Spain presented itself to the international community as an energetic, modern, and civilized country — a future global economic power. However, in Cartagena, riots and protests over factory closures and industrial dismantling grew increasingly violent, culminating in the regional parliament being set on fire with Molotov cocktails.