Netflix's latest miniseries titled Bank Under Siege has viewers thinking about the real-life inspiration behind it. Offering a perfect blend of drama and political tensions in Spain, the series centers around the startling robbery at the central bank headquarters in Barcelona, Spain.
The series opens with armed, hooded men invading the bank and terrorizing nearly 200 hostages. What seemed like a routine robbery soon escalated into one of the biggest challenges for the Spain government.
Bank Under Siege follows the real-life bank heist that took place in Barcelona, Spain, on May 23, 1981, when gunmen threatened to kill the hostages if the government denied their demands. This robbery occurred just a few months after a failed coup attempt, famously known as the 23-F coup.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.
Exploring the real-life heist that inspired Netflix's Bank Under Siege
As mentioned above, the May 23, 1981, heist in Barcelona, Spain, was linked to the failed 23-F coup, a coup d’état at the Congress of Deputies that occurred in February of the same year. Their main goal wasn't to rob the bank but to ask for the release of the prisoners captured after the failed attempt.
The real-life event that inspired Bank Under Siege unfolded on a bright morning in Barcelona, Spain, on May 23, 1981. Eleven hooded men carrying rifles launched a violent and terrifying attack on the Central Bank of Barcelona at 9:05 am.
The robbers identified themselves with numbers as they were concealing their real identities. Within a few minutes, the armed men took control of the entire building and managed to capture 200 hostages. Amid the chaos and fear among the hostages, the robbers fired several gunshots into the air, even injuring an employee in the knee.
The warning shots weren't just for the hostages to stop resistance but also served as a threat to the government if they didn't agree to the demands. As the police surrounded the area and the entire nation was shocked by the news of the heist, the robbers finally revealed their demands.
It turned out that the heist wasn't a usual robbery for money, but was a part of a political agenda. The hooded men demanded the release of General Luis Torres Rojas and three lieutenant colonels—Antonio Tejero Molina, Jose Ignacio San Martin, and Pedro Mas Oliver—who had been arrested for their involvement in the failed February 1981 coup.
They gave the Spanish government 72 hours to free the general and the other colonels, allowing them to board a plane and fly to Argentina within that time. In addition, the robbers demanded a separate plane for themselves to escape after completing their mission.
The situation got out of control during the May 23, 1981, bank heist
As seen in Netflix's Bank Under Seige, the situation in real life also took a more dangerous turn when the robbers threatened to start eliminating hostages. The Spanish government initiated negotiations, but the situation worsened as the robbers refused to agree.
The robbers were well-planned and reportedly placed explosives inside the building, making it clear that they were ready to kill if their demands were not met. While their main goal was political, they did not overlook the financial aspect. The robbers attempted to loot the bank since they had gained full control of the building.
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The outcome of the bank heist in 1981
It took more than thirty-five hours for the police to capture nine of the eleven robbers, with one escaping and another being killed during a police intervention. The hooded men were then reportedly identified as members of the Civil Guard, who were involved with General Luis Torres Rojas and the other three colonels.
How did Netflix's Bank Under Siege end?
Despite her boss Isabel's suggestion in Bank Under Siege, Maider decides to pursue the siege case and begins her investigation. The journalist and Berni visited Lopez, who shared every detail he gathered from Jose but also warned Maider about the danger she might encounter.
Meanwhile, in the episode of Bank Under Siege, Manglano pressures Jose to change his story and claim that it was just a robbery in exchange for his family's safety. Since Maider didn't fully trust Jose, she talked to people close to him.
As Bank Under Seige episodes reach the finale, Maider gets more information about her story. Lopez informs her that Gil Sanchez Valiente was with Tejero during the coup in February and left with crucial documents.
Manglano then warned Maider to stop her investigation and suggested she write a book about the election instead. However, nothing stopped the journalist from digging deep into the siege. Eventually, Maider and Lopez were able to find Manuel Vilagran.
Manuel told them that the document contained the names of key coup figures and that Manglano intended to use it for his CESID position. Later, their car explodes in the finale, highlighting the danger they stepped into.
In 1983, Lopez met Maider and told her that Jose's involvement in the heist was only due to financial gain. After spending 38 years in prison, Jose escaped, and the first thing he did was retrieve the money he had hidden in the bank's basement.
Manglano quit his job in 1995 due to the wiretapping scandal, but his and Manuel's involvement in the events remains unclear. In the end, Maider and Lopez stopped chasing the story as the dangers were intensifying. The final episode of Bank Under Siege, titled Moment of Truth, concluded with real-life footage, showing the two main figures choosing not to continue their story.
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All episodes of the miniseries Bank Under Seige are available on Netflix.
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