Half a century after the death of Francisco Franco, disinformation on social media has credited the Spanish dictator with social achievements that present his iron-fisted rule in a nostalgic light.

Experts warn that misleading comparisons and inaccuracies in viral messages can beguile citizens with minimal understanding of the 1939-1975 period.

"There is little knowledge of our history," lamented Jordi Rodriguez Virgili, professor in political communication at the University of Navarre.

That ignorance, applied to a "very emotional, divisive and polarising" subject such as Franco, cultivates a breeding ground for disinformation, he added.

AFP uncovers the reality of the general's supposed feats that have fuelled the popularity of the phrase "Life was better under Franco".

- Reservoirs

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