Areilza, José María de

José María de Areilza y Martínez-Rodas, Count of Motrico (3 August 1909, in Portugalete, Vizcaya – 22 February 1998, in Madrid) was a Spanish politician, engineer and diplomat. During the Spanish Civil War he became mayor of the city of Bilbao in 1938. Between 1947 and 1964 he served as Spanish Ambassador to Buenos Aires, Washington DC and Paris. In 1964 he resigned from his office and was asked by Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona —the King in exile— to lead the monarchist opposition to dictator Francisco Franco, as Secretary-General of his Private Council. Between 1975 and 1976 he was the first minister of foreign affairs of the new King Juan Carlos I. In 1976, along with Pío Cabanillas, he founded the short-lived People's Party, which later became part of the UCD, although he left after disagreements with Adolfo Suárez. In 1979 he was elected to the Congress of Deputies for Madrid district for the Democratic Coalition. In 1981 he became President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and, in 1987, he was elected member of the Spanish Royal Academy. He wrote over 3000 newspaper articles and 12 books. His wife died in 1991.