US embassy cable - 04MADRID1621

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MADRID 001621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, PREL, SP, PSOE - Socialist Party, Spanish Election March 2004 
SUBJECT: SPAIN BIOS ON NEW JUSTICE AND INTERIOR 
OFFICIALS 
 
 
1.  (U) Summary: This is the final of three 
cables on new top level official in the Spanish 
government.  Biographical information on top 
officials in Spain's Ministries of Justice and 
Interior is provided.  See septels for bios on 
the Office of the President, and Ministries of 
the Presidency, Foreign Affairs, and Defense. 
End Summary. 
 
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Ministry of Justice 
------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Newly named senior officials in the 
Ministry of Justice include: 
 
(A) LUIS LOPEZ GUERRA - Secretary of State of 
Justice 
 
Lopez, born in 1947 in Leon, holds a degree in 
law and political science and a doctoral degree 
in law from the Complutense University of Madrid. 
He was professor of constitutional law at the 
University Carlos III.  He served as the 
spokesperson for the Central Electoral 
Commission, magistrate and vice president of the 
Constitutional Court, and vice president of the 
General Council of the Judicial Power between 
1996 and 2001.  In May 2003, the Spanish 
Socialist Worker's Party (PSOE) named him a 
representative in the Madrid Assembly. 
 
(B) ANA MARIA DE MIGUEL LANGA - Under Secretary 
of Justice 
 
Born July 1957 in Madrid, De Miguel holds a 
degree in political science and sociology from 
the Complutense University of Madrid, and a 
degree in law from the National Distance 
University of Education. 
 
De Miguel served as deputy director general of 
personnel administration in the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food; and deputy 
directory of Planning, Payment, and Costs in 
Office of Human Resources in the former Ministry 
of Infrastructure, Transportation, and 
Environment.  Since November 1996, De Miguel has 
served as chief inspector general in the Ministry 
of Public Works. 
 
(C) DAVID GIMENEZ GLUCK  - Director of the 
Cabinet of the Minister of Justice. 
 
Gimenez is a lawyer and holds doctoral degree in 
law from the University of Valencia.  He was the 
general coordinator of the master's degree 
program on European Community institutions 
policies at the University of Valencia.  He was 
also vice secretary of the Faculty of Law. 
Gimenez was associate professor of constitutional 
law at the University Carlos III of Madrid.  He 
was named coordinator of the office of the 
secretary general of civil liberties and 
 
SIPDIS 
development within Spain's autonomous communities 
by the PSOE Federal Executive Committee. 
 
-------------------- 
Ministry of Interior 
-------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) The following are newly named officials 
in the Ministry of Interior: 
 
(A) ANTONIO CAMACHO VIZCAINO - Secretary of State 
of Interior 
 
Camacho, 39, is a career public prosecutor and 
judge.  He served in the Superior Court of 
Justice of Valencia from 1991 to 1993.  Camacho 
served in the office of the public prosecutor for 
Superior Court of Justice in Madrid.  He was also 
assigned to the courts in cities of Valdemoro and 
Getafe, the department of penitentiary 
monitoring, and the technical secretariat.  He 
served as spokesperson for the Progressive Union 
of Public Prosecutors from 2000 to 2003.  In 
2003, he became president of the Progressive 
Union. 
 
(B) SOLEDAD LOPEZ FERNANDEZ - Under Secretary of 
the Interior 
 
Born 1959 in Andalusia, Lopez holds a degree in 
law from the University of Granada.  She served 
as technical advisor on labor issues in the 
office of the ombudsman and labor inspector in 
the Canary Islands.  In 1989, Lopez was named 
deputy secretary general to the under secretary 
of the Ministry of Relations with the Spanish 
Parliament, secretary of government, and director 
of cabinet for the Ministry of Social Affairs. 
In 1996, she served as an advisor on labor and 
social affairs in Spain's embassy in Cuba.  Since 
1998, Lopez has been inspector general of labor 
and social security in Madrid. 
(C) JOSE LUIS DE BENITO Y BENITEZ DE LUGO - 
Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of the 
Interior 
 
De Benito was born March 1956 in Zamora.  He has 
a degree in law from the University of Salamanca. 
He has been a judge, assistant magistrate for 
labor issues, and a member of the General Council 
on the Judicial Power. 
 
De Benito has been assigned to the courts of 
Santa Cruz in Las Palmas, Fonsagrada, La Lagoon, 
Granada and Salamanca.  In the General Council on 
the Judicial Power, de Benito served in the 
inspection services and in the area of continuing 
education.  He was director of the Department of 
Training in the state Judicial School and 
director of its records department.   In 1999, he 
was named director of statistical services, and 
director of continuing education at the Judicial 
School.  Since 2002, de Benito has served as 
administrative director for analysis and planning 
in the General Council on the Judicial Power. 
Argyros