Joaquín Beunza Redín (1872-1936) was a Spanish Carlist politician. His career climaxed in 1931–1933, when during one term he served as deputy to the Cortes; in 1909-1917 he was also member of Diputación Foral, the Navarrese self-government, and in 1901-1906 he formed part of the Pamplonese city council. He is best known for long-time efforts to preserve and broaden separate Navarrese legal establishments; he represented Pamplona in talks with Madrid during 1917-1919 negotiations on so-called reintegración foral, in 1924–1927 on so-called cupo and Convenio Económico, in 1930–1931 on Basque-Navarrese autonomy and in 1936 on separate Navarrese Carta Foral.
Family and youth
The family reportedly originated from Beunza, a hamlet in mountainous area north of Pamplona; the surname became fairly popular in Navarre are somewhat less in Gipuzkoa.Beunza, [in:] Heraldica Familiar service, available here There were some distinguished Beunzas in Navarrese history, e.g. in the mid-18th century one served as procurador de los Tribunales Reales,see e.g. Bacaicoa contra Joaquín Beunza, [in:] Cultura Navarra service, available here but none of them can be traced as Joaquín's ancestor.for numerous other distinguished Beunzas see José Fermín Garralda Arizcun, El Ayuntamiento y la construcción de la casa consistorial de Pamplona del s. XVIII (1751-1760), [in:] Príncipe de Viana 48/182 (1987), pp. 845-916 The most distant one identified is his paternal grandfather, Joaquín Beunza Ezcurra;he died before 1891, as that year his wife was referred to as viuda, El Tradicionalista 26.05.91, available here he originated from the village of Ziaurritz, few miles away from Beunza. At some point, he moved to Pamplona, where in 1844Joaquín Beunza Ezcurra, [in:] Geneaordonez service, available here he married Juliana Viguriain some sources the surname is spelled “Biguria”, see Maria Juliana Viguria Ibañez, [in:] Geneaordonez service, available here Ibañez (1827-1891).El Tradicionalista 26.05.91, available here It is not clear what he was doing for a living; the couple had at least 6 children.one of them and Joaquín's paternal uncle, Fermin, born 1855, became a capuchin friar (with the sacerdotal name of Félix); other children were Ramón, Joaquín, Florentino, Petra, and Juana Beunza Viguria, El Tradicionalista 26.05.91, available here Their son and Joaquín's father, Fernando Ramón Beunza Viguria (1845Fernando Ramón Beunza Viguria, [in:] Geneaordonez service, available here-1894La Tradicion Navarra 21.07.95, available here), was born in Pamplona. In 1871, he married a local girl, Juliana Josefa Redín Espinal (1844Juliana Josefa Redín Espinal, [in:] Geneaordonez service, available here-1900Eco de Navarra 14.02.00, available here); except names of the parents, there is close to nothing known about her.Joaquín's maternal grandparents were Juan Fermín Redín Erdozain (b. 1816) from Pamplona and Manuela Espinal Aranguren from Guendulain, Juliana Josefa Redín Espinal, [in:] Geneaordonez service, available here
In numerous sources, it is noted that Beunza originated from “familia campesina”,Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here “familia modesta”Beúnza Redín, Joaquín, [in:] Gran Enciclopedia Navarra online, available here or “humilde familia”.José Ignacio Palacios Zuasti, Beunza y Pradera, pamploneses olvidados, [in:] Diario de Navarra 22.09.16, available here It seems that his father was a working-class horticultural employee,Ana Serrano Moreno, Las elecciones a Cortes Constituyentes de 1931 en Navarra, [in:] Príncipe de Viana 50 (1989), p. 703 living and working in the then horticulture-focused Pamplonese suburb of Rochapea,La Avalancha 24.09.36, available here even though obituary notes featured “Don Ramón Beunza y Viguria”.El Tradicion Navarra 21.07.95, available here It is not clear how many children the couple had; except Joaquín, there is only one sister known.she died in 1919, Beunza, [in:] Antzinako service, available here It was with great financial difficulty that in the mid-1880sLau-buru 03.07.86, available here he received secondary education in Instituto Provincial de Pamplona, gaining prizes for excellent results along the way. He obtained bachillerato with premio extraordinario, which in turn allowed him to enter the university.Joaquín Beúnza Redín, [in:] DBE.RAH. service, available here At least since the early 1890s Beunza was studying lawSerrano Moreno 1989, p. 703 in the University of Salamanca,getting prizes in derecho romano and economia politica – La Libertad 04.07.91, available here though he registered also at economy courses.1891 registered at “economia política” in Salamanca, El Adelanto 26.06.91, available here He was an excellent student, obtaining awards and representing the faculty in MadridEl Adelanto 06.10.92, available here and abroad.Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here He graduated in 1895“licenciándose en 1895”, Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here but continued studies in Madrid and – thanks to a grant – in Paris.Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here In 1897 he was admitted to Colegio de Abogados in PamplonaEl Eco de Navarra 24.10.97, available here, also La Tradición Navarra 22.10.97, available here and commenced practice, not clear in what office and what position. He specialized in derecho foral.Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here
In 1900, Beunza married Asunción Sáez Oroquieta (?-1960),Diario de Navarra 25.06.60 a girl from Pamplona.El Eco de Navarra 13.09.00, available here She was daughter to Domingo Sáez, a “conocido comerciante” of the city.El Eco de Navarra 27.01.98, available here The couple settled in Pamplona; they had at least 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters.in the press their first child, a daughter, was mentioned in 1907, El Eco de Navarra 11.09.07, available here. Another daughter was born in 1911, El Eco de Navarra 22.04.11, available here. By name they are listed as Inés María Asunción Beunza Sáez, Diario de Burgos 25.02.61, available here, and Maria Josefa Beunza Sáez, La Voz de Navarra 10.07.36, available here None of them was a public figure. Both sons became lawyers, Domingo in LogroñoBOE 13.10.65, available here and Daniel in Valencia.he was born in 1903, BOE 06.02.78, available here, and in 1933 he married "Maria del Carmen y Saénz Ermúa", La Voz de Navarra 07.02.33, available here, which probably is a typo and should read "Maria del Carmen Vázquez y Saénz Hermúa" Both were Carlists; the latter first served in Navarrese wartime executiveDaniel Beunza Saénz was in Delegación de Información y Socorro of Junta Central Carlista de Guerra de Navarra, Javier Ugarte Tellería, El carlismo en la guerra del 36. La formación de un cuasi-estado nacional-corporativo y foral en la zona vasco-navarra, [in:] Historia contemporánea 38 (2009), p. 64 and then very briefly in Gipuzkoan FET command layer.he was Delegado Provincial de Justicia in FET, when the Gipuzkoan organisation was headed by Agustín Tellería Mendizábal, Iñaki Fernández Redondo, El proyecto fascista en el País Vasco, 1933-1945 [PhD thesis Universidad del Pais Vasco], Bilbao 2018, p. 263 He remained moderately active in Comunión Tradicionalista and in the 1960s, he advocated a firm anti-Francoist stand of the organisation;Daniel Jesús García Riol, La resistencia tradicionalista a la renovación ideológica del carlismo (1965-1973) [PhD thesis UNED], Madrid 2015, p. 241 in 1975, he demanded that the Carlist claimant prince Carlos Hugo, suspected of deviating from Traditionalist orthodoxy, confirms the Carlist credo.García Riol 2015, pp. 248, 535, 537, also Ramón María Rodón Guinjoan, Invierno, primavera y otoño del carlismo (1939-1976) [PhD thesis Universitat Abat Oliba CEU], Barcelona 2015, pp. 585, 587, 589 The best-known Beunza's descendant is his grandson José Luis Beunza Vázquez, the first conscientious objector in Spain; his case made headlines of foreign presscompare Naar Fotocolectie, [in:] Nationaal Archief service, available here and he remains sort of celebrity until today.in 2007 there was a book published about him, see Perico Oliver Olmo, La Utopía Insumisa de Pepe Beunza, s.l. 2007, ISBN 9788488455086
Early political career (1898-1909)
Political preferences of Beunza's ancestors are not clear. His own became known in his mid-20s; in 1898, he was noted as member of the local Junta Directiva of Asociación de San Luis Gonzaga, a Catholic association which grouped young males.El Eco de Navarra 01.01.98, available here During the 1899 local elections, he was running to the town hall as a Carlist from the Pamplonese primer distrito, which included his native Rochapea;El Eco de Navarra 13.05.99, available here he was elected,El Eco de Navarra 26.05.99, available here but his competitors lodged a protest; eventually for unclear reason he was declared “incapacitado de ejercer el cargo de concejal” and his ticket was annulled.El Eco de Navarra 17.06.99, available here In 1901, Beunza once again stood in primer distrito,El Eco de Navarra 12.11.01, available here was successful and this time got his ticket confirmed.Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here
Beunza's service in the ayuntamiento lasted 2 terms and 5 years, until 1906. Initially he acted as “regidor sindico”;Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Palencia 02.01.03, available here since 1904, he was segundo teniente de alcalde, second deputy mayor.Beunza Redin, Joaquín, [in:] Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia online, available here There is little known of his endeavours, though the result of some is visible until today: in 1904, he was within the faction which successfully opposed the plan to demolish the city walls.Esther Elizalde Marquina, Las murallas de Pamplona: patrimonio e identidad de una ciudad, [in:] Navarra: memoria e imagen. Actas del VI Congreso de Historia de Navarra, vol. 2, Pamplona 2006, ISBN 8477681791, p. 404 When approaching social question Beunza remained rather conservative. In 1902 he demanded that Federación Obrera did not go beyond defence of legitimate rights and did not advance socialism.Ramon Lepesquera, ¿Luditas navarros en Los Arcos?, [in:] Príncipe de Viana 51/190 (1990), p. 498 During “crisis obrera” of 1905, he voiced against the project of launching municipal works; Beunza claimed that it was too broadly sketched (applicable to people either born in Pamplona, or married to Pamplonesa or with 2 years of residence in the city) and would attract masses of poor people, coming to the city.Ángel García-Sanz Marcotegui, El Ayuntamiento de Pamplona ante la crisis obrera, [in:] Gerónimo de Uztariz 3 (1989), p. 37 As a lawyer he was also delegated to take part in numerous lawsuits that the city was engaged in, e.g. in 1906 against a company named Finca de Arrobi.El Eco de Navarra 06.02.06, available here However, his position was far from established; in 1905 he failed in elections for compromisarios, e.g. electors entitled to elect senators from Navarre.El Eco de Navarra 19.09.05, available here