What is "carabineros"

n. 1 (plural of carabinero English) 2 (context Chile Spanish) the uniformed Chilean national police force and gendarmerie, the "Carabineros de Chile" 3 (context Spain, 1829-1940 Spanish) an armed force of Spain whose mission was to patrol the coasts and borders of the country

The Carabineros was an armed carabiniers force of Spain whose mission was to patrol the coasts and borders of the country operating against fraud and smuggling. It was established in 1829 and it lasted until 1940 when it was summarily disbanded and merged with the Guardia Civil.

The motto of the Carabineros was: Moralidad, lealtad, valor y disciplina. They were present in all the Spanish land borders, in the maritime provinces and in Madrid. Their uniform was greyish green.

Among the notable commanders José Olaguer Feliú (1923-1927), José María Galán and Gonzalo Queipo de Llano (1934-1936) may be mentioned.

In 1936, during the Spanish Second Republic, there were 16,096 Carabineros. It was one of the units of law enforcement where the 1936 coup of the pro-Fascist generals found the least support. After Spain became divided in two, more than two thirds of the members of the corps remained loyal to the government of the Republic standing against the Francoist rebels. Owing to their proven loyalty, during the Spanish Civil War the carabineros formed an elite unit and were integrated into the mixed brigades of the Republican Army.