José Antonio Velasco dies in Santander at age 76

José Antonio Velasco has passed away in Santander at the age of 76. He was a prominent figure in both the regional athletics community and Spanish political activism.

In the sporting world, Velasco served as a referee for the Cantabrian Athletics Federation and was the former president of the Autonomous Committee of Judges until the 2021 season. A former 800-meter runner, he was highly regarded for his conciliatory character and union involvement.

Politically, Velasco was a long-time communist militant with roots in the revolutionary left. His activism included involvement with the Popular Liberation Front (FLP) and the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) during the dictatorship, as well as participation in the regional founding of the Revolutionary Communist League (LCR).

In a personal farewell included in his obituary, Velasco described himself as having been “an atheist, a communist, and a sentimentalist.”