Antonio Palomares Vinuesa
Encyclopedia
Antonio Palomares Vinuesa (Albacete
, Spain
, 1930 - Valencia, Spain 24 March 2007) was a Spanish
politician for the Communist Party of Spain (PCE).
Married with two children, Palomares fled with his family to France
following the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War
. There he worked in a hospital for Spanish Civil War refugees and later as a milling machine operator. In 1944 to 1945 he worked for the French resistance
opposing the Nazi occupation of France. He joined the PCE in 1945 and was a member of the youth wing from 1947 to 1958. In 1956 the party sent him to Spain to organise the PCE from within the country. There he worked in Madrid with prominent communist Julián Grimau
. The PCE's central committee also sent him to organise the party in the Canary Islands
and Murcia
and on his return in 1967 he was appointed to lead the PCE in the Valencia region. In 1968 he was arrested with 35 other PCE members and tortured by police, only being released months later following an international campaign.
From 1976 to 1979 he was the first Secretary General of the Communist Party of the Valencian Country, the regional branch of the PCE in the Valencia region. At the 1979 General Election
he was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing Valencia Province
serving until 1982. During that time, together with Joan Lerma
, Felipe Guardiola, José Pin Arboledas
and Luis Berenguer, he helped to draft the Valencian Statute of Autonomy
which resulted in full devolution of powers to the Valencia region.
As a result of that devolution elections
to a Valencian Regional Assembly, the Corts Valencianes
, were held in 1983 and Palomares was elected to the Corts, again representing Valencia Province.
His funeral was attended by numerous left wingers, including former President of the Valencian Community, Joan Lerma and former PCE leader Santiago Carillo. Members of the People's Party
, which at that time governed the Valencian Community, did not attend, though they sent condolences to his family.
Albacete
Albacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 1930 - Valencia, Spain 24 March 2007) was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
politician for the Communist Party of Spain (PCE).
Married with two children, Palomares fled with his family to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
following the Nationalist victory in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. There he worked in a hospital for Spanish Civil War refugees and later as a milling machine operator. In 1944 to 1945 he worked for the French resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
opposing the Nazi occupation of France. He joined the PCE in 1945 and was a member of the youth wing from 1947 to 1958. In 1956 the party sent him to Spain to organise the PCE from within the country. There he worked in Madrid with prominent communist Julián Grimau
Julián Grimau
Julián Grimau García was a Spanish Communist member.-Political activities:Initially active in the Federal Republican Party and the Republican Left, he joined the Communist Party of Spain upon the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Grimau spent the war years in Barcelona, where his father had been...
. The PCE's central committee also sent him to organise the party in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
and on his return in 1967 he was appointed to lead the PCE in the Valencia region. In 1968 he was arrested with 35 other PCE members and tortured by police, only being released months later following an international campaign.
From 1976 to 1979 he was the first Secretary General of the Communist Party of the Valencian Country, the regional branch of the PCE in the Valencia region. At the 1979 General Election
Spanish general election, 1979
General elections were held in Spain on 1 March 1979.-References:* *...
he was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing Valencia Province
Valencia (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Valencia is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies—the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. It is the third largest district in Congress in terms of the numbers of deputies elected, as it elects sixteen deputies out of the total...
serving until 1982. During that time, together with Joan Lerma
Joan Lerma
Joan Lerma i Blasco is a Spanish politician for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , who served as the first democratically elected President of the Valencian Community since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s....
, Felipe Guardiola, José Pin Arboledas
José Pin Arboledas
José Pin Arboledas is a Spanish economist and politician.After gaining a degree in economics from the University of Valencia, he became involved in politics, helping to found the People's Party . That party, not to be confused with the current grouping of the same name, joined with other parties...
and Luis Berenguer, he helped to draft the Valencian Statute of Autonomy
Statute of Autonomy
Nominally, a Statute of Autonomy is a law hierarchically located under the constitution of a country, and over any other form of legislation...
which resulted in full devolution of powers to the Valencia region.
As a result of that devolution elections
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1983
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1983 were the first democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy and were held on 8 May of that year. The elections were held using closed list proportional representation in three...
to a Valencian Regional Assembly, the Corts Valencianes
Corts Valencianes
The Corts Valencianes are the main legislative body of the Generalitat Valenciana and therefore of the Valencian Community. The main location of the Corts is in the Palace of Benicarló in Valencia; however it can meet at any location in Valencian territory. The Corts has its origins in bodies...
, were held in 1983 and Palomares was elected to the Corts, again representing Valencia Province.
His funeral was attended by numerous left wingers, including former President of the Valencian Community, Joan Lerma and former PCE leader Santiago Carillo. Members of the People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, which at that time governed the Valencian Community, did not attend, though they sent condolences to his family.