The municipality of Marbella (Málaga) has been in the limelight, in recent years, due to circumstances beyond its charm, but in 1959 it had an illustrious mayor... the American president Eisenhower .
The post-war years are those of scarcity. The economic reconstruction of Spain is very difficult:the lack of capital goods, raw materials and energy is added to the lack of foreign trade and foreign investment (due to international isolation and the economic policy of self-sufficiency). The end of World War II and the subsequent Cold War between the two world powers will make Franco, as a staunch enemy of the communists, approach the US as godfather in the international context. I guess it weighed more that of «the enemy of my enemy is my friend » than Franco's dictatorial regime because in 1953 the Madrid Pact was signed by which the United States would provide economic and military aid to Spain in exchange for building and using air and naval bases in Spanish territory. The next success in international politics occurred on December 14, 1955 , the General Assembly of the UN admitted 16 new countries, including Spain.
The definitive acknowledgment of American support before the international community was going to take place on December 21, 1959 . The American president, Eisenhower , decided to include Spain in an international trip through Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, India and Pakistan. Madrid is adorned for the visit with 60,000 flags from Spain and the United States and 20,000 portraits of Eisenhower and Franco, and schools and businesses are forced to close their doors on the day of the visit. After landing at the American base in Torrejón, Franco receives Eisenhower at the foot of the ladder with a hug that will be featured.
They tour Madrid in a convertible car and the people greet them with cheers and waving the Spanish and American flags (as a "Welcome, Mister Marshall » from Berlanga ), a gala dinner enlivened by guitarist Andrés Segovia, collaboration speeches and praise of friendship… and after 19 hours on home soil, he leaves for Rabat. Logically, Eisenhower was entertained with various gifts from the Spanish people:mantillas, books, paintings, dolls dressed in typical costumes (would they be like the bailaora that would be all the rage years later on televisions in this country?), pure canaries one meter long and 5 cm. thick, and, to finish off the job, a document accrediting him as honorary mayor of Marbella .
Sources and image:ABC, El País, Los años del NODO – Rafael Abella and Gabriel Cardona