Rodolfo Martín Villa

Rodolfo Martín Villa (born 3 October 1934) is a Spanish engineer and politician, who served in various capacities in the cabinets of the Spanish transition to democracy, including interior minister and first deputy prime minister. He was under investigation in Argentina for aggravated homicide and crimes against humanity committed during the 1976 Vitoria massacre, and was indicted in 2021, but not found guilty in September 2022. He holds a university degree in engineering which he obtained from Technical University of Madrid. In February 1962 he became the head of the Sindicato Español Universitario, the university syndicate of FET y de las JONS. He replaced Jesús Aparicio-Bernal in the post. He was the civil governor of Barcelona until his appointment as minister for trade union relations in 1975. His tenure lasted until 1976.

He was appointed interior minister in the first cabinet of Adolfo Suárez on 5 July 1976, succeeding Manuel Fraga in the post. Martín Villa won a seat in the 1977 general election, the first democratic elections in Spain since 1936, for the UCD, He also tried to carry out some reforms in these areas, but was unable to reform the Spanish police due to the intervention of the Spanish Army. On 6 April 1979, Martín Villa's term as interior minister ended, and he was succeeded by Antonio Ibáñez Freire. He then served as first deputy prime minister from 1 December 1981 to 28 July 1982.

In 2006, he was appointed chairman of the Sogecable, a Spanish pay-TV provider. and Manuel Polanco replaced him in the post. Martín Villa was a member of the advisory committee of former Madrid-based think tank FRIDE.

Trial Argentine human rights lawyers announced in Madrid on 23 April 2013 that three former Spanish ministers of the Franco regime, including Martín Villa, should be arrested and tried due to their alleged participation in the killing of Argentine citizens.