
Pedro Rico López (1888 – 1957) was a Spanish
Republican politician. He served as
mayor of Madrid from 1931 to 1934 and again in 1936, during the
Second Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...
.
The
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
broke out in July 1936, and
Madrid was besieged by
Nationalists
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, Id ...
. Rico left his office and headed towards
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
in November. He was intercepted at
Tarancón by anarchists, decried as a coward and sent back to the capital, where he sought asylum in the Mexican Embassy. He spent the rest of the war in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
and
Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
before the defeat of the Republic.
Rico lived in France for most of his exile, apart from attending the
Cortes republicanas in Mexico in 1945. During World War II, he was persecuted by the
Vichy France
Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...
authorities. He was attacked by
Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
for his alleged corruption and obesity, and his death at age 69 was barely mentioned by the regime's press.
Biography
Early life and terms as mayor
Born in
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
, Rico graduated with a law degree in 1910. He became active in
republicanism
Republicanism is a political ideology that encompasses a range of ideas from civic virtue, political participation, harms of corruption, positives of mixed constitution, rule of law, and others. Historically, it emphasizes the idea of self ...
and joined the
Republican Action group led by
Manuel Azaña
Manuel Azaña Díaz (; 10 January 1880 – 3 November 1940) was a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain, Prime Minister of the Second Spanish Republic (1931–1933 and 1936), organizer of the Popular Front in 1935 and the la ...
. He was elected
mayor of Madrid in the
1931 Spanish local elections
The 1931 Spanish local elections were held on 12 April throughout all Municipalities of Spain, municipalities in Spain to elect 80,472 councillors.
The elections were perceived as a plebiscite on the Monarchy of Spain, monarchy of Alphonse XIII of ...
that coincided with the proclamation of the
Second Spanish Republic
The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...
.
Rico was removed from office in October 1934 as the
Asturian miners' strike broke out. In February 1936, he returned to being mayor after the
Popular Front won the
national election. Weighing 130 kg, he was known for enjoying the limelight, commissioning Agustín Segura to paint him wearing a sash of the
flag of the Second Spanish Republic. He also attended the
1936 final of football's Copa del Presidente de la República (now
Copa del Rey
The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
) in
Valencia
Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...
, on the invitation of
Rafael Sánchez Guerra, president of Madrid CF (now
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional Football club (association football), football club based in Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, th ...
), and put on celebrations for his winning local team.
[
]
Civil War and exile
In July 1936, the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
broke out, and Nationalist
Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
rebels besieged Madrid. He expelled all monarchists from the City Council of Madrid
The City Council of Madrid () is the top-tier administrative and governing body of Madrid, the capital and biggest city of Spain.
The city council is composed by three bodies: the mayor, who leads the city council and the executive branch of it; ...
, though most were outside the city or already arrested by the Republican authorities. On 6 November, the Republican government relocated to Valencia, with Rico alongside them, delegating his office to his deputy Cayetano Redondo Aceña
Cayetano Redondo Aceña (7 August 188821 May 1940) was a Spanish politician, typographer, journalist and Esperantist. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, he served as Mayor of Madrid from November 1936 to May 1937, during the Spanis ...
. At Tarancón in the Province of Cuenca
Cuenca () is one of the five provinces of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. It is located in the eastern part of this autonomous community and covers 17,141 square km. It has a population of 203,841 ...
, the convoy was stopped by anarchist militiamen of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
The (CNT; ) is a Spanish anarcho-syndicalist national trade union center, trade union confederation.
Founded in 1910 in Barcelona from groups brought together by the trade union ''Solidaridad Obrera (historical union), Solidaridad Obrera'', ...
(CNT); they chastised Rico as a coward for leaving Madrid during the Francoist advance, beat him and sent him back to the capital. Some Nationalist and French newspapers reported that he had been executed in this encounter, while Republican press avoided the subject entirely.[
The day after his failed escape, Rico sought asylum in the Mexican Embassy. He was one of 56 people to take refuge there that month, most others being opponents of the Republic, including future Francoist prime minister Luis Carrero Blanco. By December 1936, food was running short in Madrid and Mexico began to evacuate the refugees, taking Rico to Valencia on 20 January 1937 and housing him in property owned by the country. By February, he was in France and in 1937 he lived in ]Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, Belgium.[
Rico had resigned his seat in the Cortes republicanas for the Republican Left before fleeing to France. In February 1938, he observed a meeting of the Cortes at the Sanctuary of the ]Virgin of Montserrat
Our Lady of Montserrat or the Virgin of Montserrat () is a Marian title associated with a statue of the Madonna and Child venerated at the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery on Montserrat mountain in Catalonia, Spain. She is the patroness sai ...
in Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. As the Catalan capital fell to Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco Bahamonde (born Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general and dictator who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces i ...
in January 1939, Rico fled back into France with other Republicans. Persecuted by the authorities of Vichy France
Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...
, he again sought Mexico's aid in Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
and was listed for evacuation to the Latin American country, but removed from the list for unknown reasons.[
]
Later life and death
In January 1943, Francoist Spain
Francoist Spain (), also known as the Francoist dictatorship (), or Nationalist Spain () was the period of Spanish history between 1936 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death i ...
banned Rico from returning to the country for 15 years and fined him 10 million Spanish peseta
The peseta (, ) was the currency of Spain between 1868 and 2002. Along with the French franc, it was also a de facto currency, ''de facto'' currency used in Andorra (which had no national currency with legal tender).
Etymology
The name of the ...
s. The new regime's press continuously attacked him for alleged corruption as a lawyer and mayor. By the end of World War II he was living in Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
and in September 1945 he moved to Mexico, arriving in Nuevo Laredo
Nuevo Laredo () is a city in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Rio Grande, across from Laredo, Texas, Laredo, United States. The 2010 census popula ...
via the United States in November to attend the Republican Cortes in exile. Returning to France, he gave university lectures on the Republic and published a book on its flag in 1950.[
Rico died in Aix, aged 69. His death was barely reported by the new Spanish regime, but his obituary appeared in ''ABC'' at the behest of his son. A funeral was permitted at the Church of Las Calatravas. A street in Madrid, near the M-30 motorway, was named after him.]
In 2021, Rico's art collection was returned to his two grandchildren, under the Historical Memory Law.[ The paintings had been taken to ]Asturias
Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwest Spain.
It is coextensive with the provinces of Spain, province of Asturias and contains some of the territory t ...
by Franco as spoils of war.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rico, Pedro
1888 births
1957 deaths
20th-century Spanish lawyers
Mayors of Madrid
Republican Action (Spain) politicians
Republican Left (Spain) politicians
Spanish refugees
Spanish emigrants to France
Spanish art collectors