Teodoro González de Zárate

Teodoro González de Zárate Sáenz (9 November 1881 – 31 March 1937) was a Spanish politician who served as mayor of Vitoria during the Second Spanish Republic. He was killed by Francoist forces during the Spanish Civil War.

Biography Born in Vitoria, Teodoro González de Zárate had been a businessman before entering politics. He was elected to the city council in April 1931. In the election, right-wing candidates won a majority in the city council (16 seats, compared to the 15 seats held by republicans and socialists). However, the partial annulment of the results and subsequent election rerun gave a majority to the left. On June 5, González de Zárate was named mayor. The republican members of the city council had been elected on the Autonomous Republican Party ticket. This was a local organization, and most of them joined other republican parties starting in August 1931. González de Zárate, who served as president of the party, later joined Republican Left.

As mayor, González de Zárate criticized the 1931 proposal for a Basque statute of autonomy on the basis that it would harm the economic model of Álava, he also described it as an imposition from rural politicians against urban areas. Teodoro González de Zárate was arrested on September 17 by Requetés. On March 31, 1937, coinciding with the start of the Biscay Campaign, González de Zárate and other 15 prisoners were taken out of prison in order to be executed on orders of Emilio Mola.