Fernando Buesa

{{Short description|Spanish politician in the Basque Christian Democracy (1946–2000)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Fernando Buesa

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1946|05|29}}

| birth_name = Fernando Buesa Blanco

| birth_place = Bilbao, Spain

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|02|22|1946|05|29}}

| death_place = Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

| death_cause = Assassination

| body_discovered =

| education =

| occupation =

| spouse =

| partner =

| known_for =

|office1 = Vice Lehendakari for Social Affairs

|term_start1 = 4 October 1991

|term_end1 = 4 January 1995

|predecessor1 = {{ill|Jon Imanol Azúa|es}} {{small|(Vice Lehendakari)}}

|successor1 = Post abolished

| 2blankname1 = Lehendakari

| 2namedata1 = José Antonio Ardanza

|office2 = Head of the Department of Education, Universities and Research

|term_start2 = 4 October 1991

|term_end2 = 4 January 1995

|predecessor2 = {{ill|Inaxio Oliveri|eu}}

|successor2 = Inaxio Oliveri

| 2blankname2 = Lehendakari

| 2namedata2 = José Antonio Ardanza

|office3 = Deputy General of Álava

|term_start3 = 17 July 1987

|term_end3 = 17 July 1991

|predecessor3 = Juan María Ollora

|successor3 = Alberto Ansola

|office4 = Member of the Basque Parliament{{cite web |title=Buesa Blanco, Fernando |url=https://www.legebiltzarra.eus/fichas/c_33_SM.html |website=Parlamento Vasco |access-date=31 July 2022 |language=es}}

|constituency4 = Álava

|term_start4 = 22 March 1984

|term_end4 = 22 February 2000

|office5 = Member of the General Assembly of Álava{{cite web |title=BUESA BLANCO, FERNANDO |url=https://www.jjggalava.eus/es/-/buesa-blanco-fernando |website=www.jjggalava.eus |publisher=Juntas Generales de Álava |access-date=31 July 2022 |language=es}}

|constituency5 = Vitoria-Gasteiz

|term_start5 = 24 May 1983

|term_end5 = 22 February 2000

}}

Fernando Buesa Blanco (29 May 1946 – 22 February 2000) was a Spanish politician{{cite news |last1=Goodman |first1=Al |title=Former leader of Basque terrorist group sentenced to prison |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/07/world/europe/spain-eta-conviction/index.html |access-date=11 November 2019 |work=CNN |date=7 November 2011}} in the Basque Christian Democracy and in the Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE-EE) branch of the social democratic Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was assassinated by ETA.{{cite news |last1=Bryant |first1=Tony |title=22 February 2000: ETA kills leader of Basque socialist party |url=https://www.surinenglish.com/lifestyle/201902/22/february-2000eta-kills-leader-20190222095957-v.html |access-date=11 November 2019 |work=Sur in English |date=22 February 2019}}

Biography

Born in 1946 in Bilbao, Spain, Buesa studied law in Madrid and Barcelona and practiced from 1970 to 1986 in Vitoria-Gasteiz. He served in the Vitoria-Gasteiz city council from 1983 to 1997, in the Basque Parliament from 1984 to 2000 and as Deputy General of Álava from 1987 to 1991. Buesa was also vice lehendakari (president of the Basque government) and minister of Education in a coalition PSE-Basque Nationalist Party Basque government from 1991 to 1994.

From this position, he steered the process that moved the Basque-language schools (ikastolak) into either the Basque public education network or the Basque chartered private education sector.{{cite news |last1=Gorospe |first1=Pedro |title=El 56% de las ikastolas vascas decide integrarse en la enseñanza pública |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1993/05/27/sociedad/738453601_850215.html |access-date=31 July 2022 |work=El País |date=27 May 1993 |language=es}}

Fernando Buesa was married and had three children.{{Cite web|url=http://fundacionfernandobuesa.com/web/fernandos-life/|title=Fernando´s life|website=Fundación Fernando Buesa Fundazioa|language=en-GB|access-date=11 November 2019}}

Death and legacy

File:Vitoria - Memorial de Fernando Buesa.jpg

On February 22, 2000, Buesa was killed by the separatist group ETA while he was walking through the university campus in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The car bombing also killed his bodyguard, the ertzaina (member of the Basque police) Jorge Díez Elorza.{{cite news |last1=Gorospe |first1=Pedro |title=ETA asesina en Vitoria al dirigente socialista Fernando Buesa y a su escolta de la Ertzaintza |url=https://elpais.com/diario/2000/02/23/espana/951260437_850215.html |access-date=31 July 2022 |work=El País |date=23 February 2000 |language=es}}

At the time of his death, Buesa was the leader of the PSE-EE in Álava and the PSE-EE spokesman in the Basque Parliament.

His assassination inspired a well received documentary by the Basque filmmaker {{ill|Eterio Ortega|es}} titled {{ill|Asesinato en febrero|es}}.{{cite news |last1=Silvestre |first1=Juan |title=Las 32 mejores películas sobre ETA y el conflicto vasco |url=https://www.fotogramas.es/noticias-cine/g32066083/peliculas-series-sobre-eta/ |access-date=27 July 2022 |work=Fotogramas |date=23 September 2021 |language=es}}

The home arena of the Vitoria-Gasteiz Baskonia basketball team, formerly known as Araba Arena, was renamed Fernando Buesa Arena after his death.{{cite news |last1=Ortiz de Arri |first1=Eduardo |title=El Pabellón Araba pasa a llamarse Fernando Buesa Arena |url=https://elpais.com/diario/2000/03/01/paisvasco/951943213_850215.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |work=El País |date=1 March 2000 |language=es}}

Honours

File:ESP Alfonso X Order GC.svg Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise, Grand Cross, 25 February 2005 (posthumous){{cite news |title=El Gobierno acuerda la entrega de un argelino preso por terrorismo |url=https://elpais.com/diario/2005/02/26/espana/1109372411_850215.html |access-date=27 July 2022 |work=El País |date=26 February 2005 |language=es}}{{cite act |type=Real Decreto |index=226/2005 |date=26 February 2005 |title=por el que se concede, a título póstumo, la Gran Cruz de la Orden Civil de Alfonso X el Sabio a don Fernando Buesa Blanco |url=https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2005-3275 |language=es |page=7155 |via=BOE |volume=49 |access-date=27 July 2022 }}