José Maldonado González facts for kids

José Maldonado González was an important Spanish politician. He was born on November 12, 1900, in Tineo, a town in Asturias, Spain. He passed away on February 11, 1985, in Oviedo. José Maldonado is best known for being the last president of the Spanish Republican government in Exile. This was a group of Spanish leaders who continued to act as a government from outside Spain after the Spanish Civil War.

Early Life and Politics

José Maldonado started his political career in Spain. In 1936, he was chosen as a deputy (like a member of parliament) for the Oviedo area. He belonged to a political group called the Republican Left party. This party was part of a larger group known as the Popular Front. The Popular Front was a group of different left-wing parties working together in Spain.

Life in Exile

In 1938, the Spanish Civil War was nearing its end. The Second Spanish Republic, which was the government at the time, was about to fall. Because of this, José Maldonado had to leave Spain and went to France. This is what is meant by "in exile" – living outside your home country, often for political reasons.

While living in France, Maldonado continued to work for the Spanish Republican government in exile. He held several important jobs, even though this government no longer ruled Spain directly. For example, he was the Minister of Justice from 1949 to 1951. Later, he was the Minister of Justice and Information from 1962 to 1971. These roles meant he was in charge of laws and sharing information for the exiled government.

Besides his political work, José Maldonado also lived in Paris and worked as a teacher.

Becoming President

In 1970, José Maldonado became the President of the Spanish Republican government in exile. He took over from Luis Jiménez de Asúa. As president, he led this group of exiled leaders.

In 1977, important elections were held in Spain. These elections marked a big step towards Spain becoming a democracy again. José Maldonado recognized these elections as legitimate. He agreed that the exiled government would stop its international activities. This decision was made with the president of Mexico, José López Portillo. This meant the exiled government was officially ending its role, as Spain was now returning to a democratic system.