US embassy cable - 04MADRID1619

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001619 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, PREL, SP, PSOE - Socialist Party, Spanish Election March 2004 
SUBJECT: SPAIN BIOS ON OFFICIALS IN PRESIDENT'S 
OFFICE AND THE MINISTRY OF THE PRESIDENCY 
 
REF:  MADRID 1052 
 
1.  (U) Summary: Over the past week, Spain's 
Council of Ministers has named new, top-level 
government officials.  We are presenting 
biographical information on these new officials 
in three parts to keep you informed of our new 
political interlocutors in the Spanish 
government.  This cable provides biographical 
information for officials in the Office of 
President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and the 
Ministry of the Presidency headed by Maria 
Fernandez de la Vega.   Both offices are 
collectively known as Moncloa.  Bios on new 
official in Foreign Affairs, Defense, Interior, 
and Justice will be reported septel.   End 
Summary 
 
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The Office of the President 
--------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) The following are new officials in the 
Office of the President: 
 
(A) JOSE ENRIQUE SERRANO MARTINEZ - Zapatero's 
Chief of Cabinet 
 
Serrano was born in Madrid in 1949.  He is a 
former professor in the Faculty of Law at the 
Complutense University of Madrid.  He was 
secretary general of the Complutense University 
 
SIPDIS 
of Madrid, director general of personnel at the 
Ministry of Defense, and secretary general of the 
vice president of the government.  In 1993, 
Serrano was secretary general and assistant 
director of the vice president of the government, 
and later, director of cabinet of President 
Felipe Gonzales.  Between 1997 and 2000, Serrano 
served as director of the cabinet of the then- 
secretary general of the Spanish Socialist 
 
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Worker's Party (PSOE), Jose Luis Rodriguez 
Zapatero. 
 
(B) CARLOS CASAJUANA PALET - Director of the 
Department for International Policy and Security 
(essentially replaces Alberto Carnero, who held 
this position in the Aznar government) 
 
Carlos Casajuana was born in Barcelona in 1954. 
He has a degree in law and economic sciences.  He 
joined the Spanish diplomatic corps in 1980.  He 
has served in Bolivia, the Philippines, and the 
United Nations.  Casajuana was chief of the 
Technical Cabinet of the Secretary General of 
Foreign Policy of the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs.  In 1996, Casajuana was appointed 
ambassador to Malaysia.  In March 2001, he was 
Spain's permanent representative in the Political 
and Security Committee of the Western European 
Union. 
 
(C) NICHOLAS MARTINEZ-FRESNO Y PAVIA - Secretary 
General of the Presidency of the Government 
 
Martinez-Fresno was born in 1935 in Segovia.  He 
holds a degree in law and joined the Spanish 
diplomatic service in 1966.  He served in Iraq, 
Czechoslovakia, and Spain's Permanent Mission to 
the United Nations.  He was assistant director of 
state protocol and director of protocol for the 
President Felipe Gonzalez.  In 1990, Martinez- 
Fresno was named ambassador to Belgium and, 
later, ambassador to Argentina.  Later, Martinez- 
Fresno was inspector general in the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, and Spain's consul general in 
Rome.  Since 2003, Martinez-Fresno has been 
ambassador in charge of the coordination of 
environmental offices at the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs. 
 
(D) MIGUEL SEBASTIAN GASCO - Director of the 
Economic Office of the Presidency of the 
Government 
 
Sebastian was born in 1957 in Madrid.  He holds a 
doctoral degree in economic sciences from the 
Complutense University of Madrid and doctoral 
degree in economy from the University of 
Minnesota.  He was a professor of the Foundation 
of the Economic Analysis at the Complutense 
University of Madrid. 
He has worked in the Office of the Secretary of 
Public Property in the Bank of Spain.  He was 
director general of InterMoney and director of 
the research department of the Spain's second 
largest bank, BBVA.  Sebastian was also 
Zapatero's economic advisor and coordinated 
PSOE's economic program in the 2004 general 
elections. 
 
(E) ENRIQUE GUERRERO SALOM - Assistant Director 
of the Cabinet of the Presidency of the 
Government 
 
Guerrero was born in 1948 in Valencia.  Guerrero 
holds a doctoral degree in political science.  He 
was a professor of political science of the 
Complutense University of Madrid.   He was 
technical secretary general, director of the 
Cabinet of the Ministers, and under secretary of 
the Ministry of Science and Education.  In 1993, 
Guerrero served as under secretary for relations 
with the Spanish parliament and was assistant 
spokesperson for the National Institute of Public 
Administration. 
 
(F) FRANCISCO JAVIER ARA CALLIZO - Director of 
the Infrastructure Department and Management of 
Crisis Situations 
 
Ara Callizo was born in 1951.  He holds the rank 
of colonel in Spanish Civil Guard.  He has held 
positions in the headquarters of Special and 
Reserve Units, the General Staff, the Academy of 
Cabos, and Operative Unit of the Civil Guard.  He 
has been chief of the Operations Department for 
the Office of Olympic Security during the 1992 
Barcelona Olympic Games, head of the operation 
services in the cabinet of Coordination of the 
Secretary of State of the Interior and 
 
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coordination desk officer in the office of 
coordinator of the National Plan on Drugs.  Since 
January 1997, Ara Callizo has served as director 
of the Department of Security of the president of 
the government.  Ara Callizo is married with four 
children. 
 
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The Ministry of the Presidency 
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3. (SBU) The Ministry of the President manages 
Zapatero's relations with all other cabinet 
ministers.  This Ministry is headed by the First 
Vice-President, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega 
(see reftel). 
 
MIGUEL BARROSO AYATS - Secretary of State of 
Communications. 
 
Ayatts, 50, was born in Zaragoza.  He holds a 
degree in law and modern and contemporary 
history.  He is a career journalist.  He was 
director general of cabinet of Minister of 
Science and Education, Jose Maria Maragall. 
Later, he worked in the private sector as a media 
consultant.  Most recently, he worked for a 
company called FNAC, headquartered in Paris, and 
became its director general in Spain and, later, 
vice-president.  Ayats is married with two 
children. 
Argyros