Spanish poet's family won't oppose opening of mass grave to establish truth about Franco

Federico Garcia Lorca's family won't oppose a petition to open a mass grave where his body is believed to have been dumped after Franco supporters allegedly executed the poet and playwright at the outbreak of Spain's Civil War, a relative said Thursday.

A judge will decide whether to exhume the remains, but the announcement by the family of Spain's most prominent and popular 20th century poet is a significant about-face after years of refusing to touch the grave.

It also takes Spain a bit closer to unraveling one of the 1936-39 war's most intriguing mysteries — how the writer died and where exactly his remains are.

Garcia Lorca was 38 when he was killed. His work deals with universal themes such as love, death, passion, cruelty and injustice.