Francisco Javier Varela Salas (born 1952 in Puertollano, Spain[1]) is a retired Spanish Army general.

He was enrolled in the Army in 1978 after he graduated from General Military Academy, Zaragoza and was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant.

He was promoted to captain and served in the Military School of Mountain and Special Operations then as a teacher.

He attended the Army Staff College in 1990, and he was made lieutenant colonel to serve in Rapid Action Force from which he later commands the Legion's XIX Special Operations Flag until 2003.

[5] For his services, the Council of Ministers granted him the Grand Cross of Naval Merit.