Ramón Patiño del Valle
Category: Seaman
Birth Date: 10th April 1932 (†7th May 1999)
Birth Place: Vilaxoán (Pontevedra)
He had a difficult childhood in the post-war period. He worked as a seaman since he was very young and emigrated to Venezuela and Germany. When he returned from Venezuela, he worked as an electrician. He was a great defender of Democracy and when Franco's dictatorship was over (26th may 1976), he founded the association 'Veciños de Vilaxoán' together with other friends. It was one of the first associations that began to work legally in Spain. Ramón Patiño wrote to the Ministry of Culture (Pío Cabanillas was the minister at that moment) to get a Culture Centre for Vilaxóan and his request was accepted.
He founded the Democratic Assembly of Arousa and collaborated in the foundation of the Federation of Spanish Neighbour Associations. He was a member of the central committee of the Galician Communist Party and was a town councillor in Vilagarcía (Pontevedra) in the first democratic elections in 1979. Thanks to the initiative of the association 'Veciños de Vilaxoán', the City Council dedicated him a street with his name and he was paid an homage on 22nd July 2000.