He economist Asturian Juan Velardeprofessor of economic structure and recipient of the Prince of Asturias Prize in Social Sciences in 1992, died in a hospital in Madrid at the age of 95 as a result of a fall in his home a few days ago, according to the president of the Royal Academy of Sciences. sciences, moral and political sciences, Benigno Pendas.

The fracture that caused the fall led to him being hospitalized, according to Pendas, who spoke by phone with Velarde last Monday about an event held yesterday at the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences: Monarchy in Democracy. United Kingdom during the reign of Elizabeth II (1925-2022) King Felipe VI was present.

“He was very happy to be present, but he couldn’t take it anymore,” said Pendas, who called Velarde a great authority on Spanish economists, along with Enrique Fuentes Quintana, and who remembered him as “a nice man, a wise man.” relatives who liked everything and were interested in everything, ”says Efe.

The president of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, a position also held by Velarde, also recalled that he had asked him to become head of the foundation that annually organizes the La Grande courses, the last edition of which was held last summer. in Aviles he participated, despite his advanced age.

Velarde (Salas, Asturias, 1927) graduated in 1947 from the Department of Political and Economic Sciences of the Central University and in the same year began his teaching career in various faculties, until in 1960 he took the chair of economic structure at the University of Barcelona , from where, three years later, he moved to Complutense de Madrid, where he taught until 1992.

In 1951, he entered the competitive examination and entered the National Corps of Technical Inspection (Labor Inspectorate) as number one, and in 1976 he was appointed director of the Institute for Labor and Social Security Research, a position he held until 1981.

Vice President of the Financial Commission of the PP

Founder of the Union of the Spanish People (UPE), a coalition later merged into the People’s Alliance (currently PP), in 1986 he was one of the names the party saw as replacing Abel Matutes at the head of the AP’s economic policy.

In May 1989, along with José Antonio Segurado, he was appointed vice-president of the PP Economic and Financial Research Commission, the body chaired by Matutes at the time.

For many years, he combined the work of a professor with membership in the Supreme Statistical Council of the Ministry of Economy and Finance on behalf of the Council of Universities, and in 1991, at the suggestion of the PP, he was elected as an adviser to the Accounts Chamber. .

Velarde, a contributor and columnist for various publications, is the author of numerous works on economics, including: Economy and Society in Transition in 1978, Economic policy of the dictatorship in 1986 or Third line of social security in Spain (1990).

Member of the Royal Academy of Moral and Political Sciences since 1977, he is the recipient of numerous awards such as the Prince of Asturias, Jaime I Prize in Economics (1996) or Campomanes (2005), Gold Medal for Merit for Work, Military Merit Cross or Order Alfonso X el Sabio.