''SP'' was an illustrated news and political magazine which was published in Spain from 1957 to 1972. The title was an abbreviation of the phrase ''Su Periódico'' ( es, Your Periodical). It is known for its support for Francoist rule.

History and profile

''SP'' was launched in 1957 by a group of Spanish journalists, including Rodrigo Royo and Jaime Menéndez. Its first issue appeared on 12 May that year. The magazine came out weekly, and its editor-in-chief and director was Rodrigo Royo. In September 1967 Luis Ángel de la Viuda replaced Royo as the editor-in-chief of ''SP'' and held the post until November 1968. The headquarters of the magazine was in Madrid, but it also had publishing offices in Barcelona. Due to its popularity a sister publication, ''Daily SP'', was started in 1967 which ceased publication in 1969 due to lower popularity. ''SP'' sold 21,000 copies a week in the years 1966, 1967 and 1969. Its 1968 circulation was 24,000 copies. In 1961 during the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi official who escaped to Argentine where he was captured, ''SP'' published an article in which the

holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

was denied. The article claimed that not Nazis but the Russians established the

concentration camps Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...

for

Jews in Germany The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish ...

. The editor-in-chief, Rodrigo Royo, also published an editorial denying the existence of the

gas chambers A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or other animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. History ...

stating that these were just the army laboratories established to test the

gas masks A gas mask is a mask used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Most gas mask ...

of the soldiers. In January 1964 ''SP'' published a controversial article about the

assassination Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have ...

of the American President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

arguing that the murderers were the

Dallas police The Dallas Police Department, established in 1881, is the principal law enforcement agency serving the city of Dallas, Texas. Organization The department is headed by a chief of police who is appointed by the city manager who, in turn, is hir ...

. A CIA document created upon this article on 14 May 1964 stated that the magazine was a Falange supporter and that it might have links with the Italian far right publication ''Secolo XX''. In the same document it was also speculated that this article was part of the Franco government's attempts to rebuild

diplomatic relations Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

with Mexico. ''SP'' folded in 1972.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:SP 1957 establishments in Spain 1972 disestablishments in Spain Defunct political magazines published in Spain Defunct Spanish-language magazines Fascist newspapers and magazines Holocaust denial in Spain Magazines established in 1957 Magazines disestablished in 1972 Magazines published in Madrid Magazines published in Barcelona News magazines published in Spain Propaganda newspapers and magazines Weekly magazines published in Spain Weekly news magazines