Miguel Blesa

{{Short description|Spanish banker (1947–2017)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Miguel Blesa de la Parra | image = Miguel-Blesaentrando-juicio-tarjetas-black EDIIMA20160926 0120 4 (cropped).jpg | caption = Blesa in 2016 | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1947|8|8}} | birth_place = Linares, Spain | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2017|7|19|1947|8|8}} | death_place = Villanueva del Rey, Spain | education = | occupation = Banker | predecessor = | successor = | boards = | spouse = | children = | parents = | website = | resting_place = | alma_mater = | known_for = Chairman of Caja Madrid, 1996–2010 | relatives = }}

'''Miguel Blesa de la Parra''' (8 August 1947 – 19 July 2017) was a Spanish banker, the chairman of the Spanish bank Caja Madrid from 1996 to 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/18/business/global/spanish-banker-goes-to-prison.html|title=Ex-Spanish Banker Is Released on Bail After a Night in Jail|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 May 2013 |accessdate=13 April 2016|last1=Minder |first1=Raphael }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Minder, Raphael G. |url=https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-36304883/former-executive-of-caja-madrid-briefly-jailed-banker |title=Former Executive of Caja Madrid Briefly Jailed; Banker Posts Bail after Judge Acts, Even before Charges Are Filed |work=International Herald Tribune |publisher= |date=18 May 2013 |access-date=13 April 2016 |archive-date=24 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424215608/https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-36304883/former-executive-of-caja-madrid-briefly-jailed-banker |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In February 2017, Blesa was sentenced to a six-year jail term in connection with the widespread misuse of company credit cards during his long tenure as chairman of Caja Madrid,<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/07/19/business/19reuters-spain-banks-blesa.html |title=Spanish Banker Miguel Blesa Found Dead on Country Estate |agency=Reuters |work=The New York Times |date=19 July 2017 |accessdate=19 July 2017}}</ref> but remained at liberty pending the outcome of an appeal to the Supreme Court.<ref name="eldiario">{{cite web|url=http://www.eldiario.es/politica/responsabilidad-penal-Blesa-extingue-continua_0_666684237.html|website=eldiario.es|title=La familia de Blesa tendrá que renunciar a la herencia o asumir las multas por posibles condenas|date=19 July 2017 |accessdate=31 July 2017}}</ref>

Blesa was found dead on a private hunting estate in the province of Córdoba on 19 July 2017, with a shotgun wound to the chest.<ref name="nytimes1"/><ref>{{cite web|last=López-Fonseca|first=Óscar|title=Miguel Blesa, hallado muerto en una finca de caza de Córdoba|language=es|url=https://politica.elpais.com/politica/2017/07/19/actualidad/1500453072_589850.html|website=El País|accessdate=19 July 2017|date=19 July 2017}}</ref> The autopsy on 20 July confirmed that he killed himself.<ref name="El Pais">{{cite news|last1=De Barron|first1=Inigo|title=Miguel Blesa: a symbol of all that went wrong in Spanish banking Autopsy confirms former Caja Madrid chief found dead on Wednesday committed suicide|url=https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/07/20/inenglish/1500535629_774345.html|accessdate=20 July 2017|work=El Pais|date=20 July 2017}}</ref> The press noted that Blesa was one of a number of people involved in scandals such as the Gürtel case to die while court proceedings were pending, and it was reported that his heirs would be liable for damages to the harmed (assuming that they accept their inheritance).<ref>{{Cite news |title=Los herederos de Blesa deberán asumir su responsabilidad civil y pagar las posibles indemnizaciones |url=https://politica.elpais.com/politica/2017/07/19/actualidad/1500465214_441165.html |date=19 July 2017 |access-date=20 July 2017 |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |language=es}}</ref>

He received a Golden Medal from the Real Academia de la Historia,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.es/economia/20130516/abci-blesa-perfil-201305161638.html |newspaper=ABC |date=16 May 2013 |access-date=19 July 2017 |title=Miguel Blesa: luces y sombras de una gestión controvertida al calor de la burbuja |language=es |author=v.r.a |publisher=Vocento}}</ref> and was awarded as Mejor Presidente de Entidad Financiera 2005 by Banca 15.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1816661/0/perfil/miguel-blesa/caja-madrid-bankia/ |title=Blesa, de 'mejor banquero' al primero de la crisis entre rejas |newspaper=20minutos.es |date=19 July 2017 |access-date=19 July 2017 |language=es}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blesa, Miguel}} Category:1947 births Category:2017 suicides Category:2017 deaths Category:Spanish bankers Category:People named in the Panama Papers Category:Suicides by firearm in Spain Category:Spanish fraudsters Category:University of Granada alumni Category:People from Linares, Jaén