Former President of the Generalitat Valenciana José Luis Olivas Passes Away

José Luis Olivas, who was the third president during the autonomous stage of the Generalitat Valenciana, has passed away at the age of 73, as confirmed by sources close to him. He had a brief tenure as president of the Generalitat, lasting eight months between 2002 and 2003.

Olivas, who also served as president of the now-defunct Bancaja, becomes the first head of the Consell to pass away.

Born in Motilla del Palancar, he was born on October 13, 1952. Married with two daughters, his arrival at Bancaja was a reward for his services to the PP in the Generalitat Government and the expected recognition for his loyalty to Eduardo Zaplana. The merger of Bancaja with Caja Madrid placed him at the helm of Bankia.

Olivas was the head of the Generalitat without being elected by the ballot box. His case was the first, although the situation was later repeated with Alberto Fabra, and now with Juanfran Pérez Llorca. His death marks the first of a president of the Generalitat in modern democracy.

Eduardo Zaplana received a call from Aznar in 2002 to join the Government, which led to Zaplana presenting Olivas's interim position as a bridge for the arrival of the successor Francisco Camps on the carpet of the Valencia Palace. Olivas served as president of the Generalitat for less than a year: from July 24, 2002, until the elections on May 25, 2003.

The former president had a summer house in Jávea, a town he visited throughout the year.