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Jose Angel Cuerda

He is a Vitorian politician, born on March 17, 1934 in Vitoria-Gasteiz. He studied baccalaureate in the Colegio Santa Maria (Marianistas) in Vitoria. He completed his studies of Law at the University of Valladolid. He began his work as a preofessor at the School of Social Work to go to practice law as a counsel for the Chamber of Urban Property, on the one hand. And on the other hand, through his private buffet. Exercise that it left in both cases for full dedication his post. Although since October of 1992 he returned to take again, in a partial way, his educational activity, as teacher of Law, in the School of Social Work.

In what concerns his political life, José Angel Cuerda held the position of Deputy for the EAJ-PNV Araba during the first legislature of the State Parliament in 1979, a position he resigned to take possession of the Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz, having been Mayor uninterrupted until 1999. His mandates have been characterized by the most humanized attainment of a city, fair and solidary. It has made concrete in pioneering policies of helps to the Third world, Third Age, Infancy, Objection of Conscience, Environment, Town planning etc. His political commitment has had an important social dimension that today it continues cultivating by means of his participation in different civil, social forums (he is a promoter of the association Bizitza-Berria of support to the sintecho of the city) and university students. Attorney of profession and recognized intellectual (he has been a teacher of university during more than forty years), was one of the predecessors in the Basque Country of the concept of the sustainable development.

During his mandate, Vitoria reached high quotas of well-being and quality of life and his management was recognized, besides for his fellow-citizens by means of electoral countersignature, by multitude of local and national and international organisms. It was pioneering in the incorporation of the environment as strategic variable of urban management; he constructed a thick social fabric in the city based on a network of sociocultural and sports equipments of the first order; he defended the fight against the discrimination and in favour of the social incorporation of the groups and persons least favored (in 1994 he received Prize Gehitu of the Basque Country and the Prize Pink Triangle of the Group of Gais and Lesbians of Madrid for being the public post first in opening a Record of Civil Unions so much for heterosexual as homosexual pairs); he led the help to the cooperation municipalista with the socio-economic development of the countries of the Third world called; there designed an urban development model thought for the citizen; it developed a university campus for the University of the Basque Country and developed an integral process of rehabilitation of the medieval urban area of the city recognized to European level (I Reward Europa Nostra in 1982). Jose Ángel Cuerda was succeeded by Alfonso Alonso, of the Partido Popular, who granted to him the Golden medal of the city, maximum distinction that grants the Town hall.

In his international facet, in January, 1992, he took part as one more member inside the protective international "shield" for the return to his Country, from Mexico, of more than 45.000 Guatemalan refugees. A "shield" integrated by Embassies, Not governmental Organizations and of solidarity.