The proposal, presented by the local government of Compromís and PSOE, was passed with the support of left-wing parties. The Popular Party abstained, criticizing the Democratic Memory Law, while Vox voted against it, calling it a «nonsense».

The decision implies withdrawing the first Gold Medal awarded by the white town, in application of current legality, such as Law 20/2022, of October 19, on Democratic Memory. The councilor for Compromís and head of the Department of Participation, Joaquim Devesa, defended the motion, explaining that the medal will also be removed from the book of honors and distinctions, explicitly stating this revocation. Likewise, municipal services will be urged to locate the insignia, although it is considered unlikely to be found.

The dictator's decoration was agreed upon by the Altea City Council plenary session on November 26, 1964, under the mandate of José María Planelles. At that time, many municipalities adopted this measure to show their adherence to the regime during the period known as «25 years of peace». Altea justified the distinction as «testimony and gratitude for the peace it has been able to provide to all Spaniards».

The spokesperson for the PSOE, Deo Sánchez, stated that the proposal does not seek to reopen wounds or fuel confrontations, but rather to «close with serenity and institutional sense a democratic anomaly that has no place in a public administration of the 21st century». He argued that institutional recognitions must be aligned with current societal values, such as freedom, human rights, and coexistence.

After the vote, which passed with the support of the local government, some attendees at the plenary session applauded the decision. The Compromís councilor recalled that the 1964 act and related documentation will continue to exist, and that the proposal seeks to return the medal to the municipal archive with a corresponding historical annotation, which he considers «making history, not erasing history».