Juan Palarea Blanes

Juan Palarea Blanes (December 27, 1780 - March 7, 1842), also known by his alias el Médico, was a Spanish medical practitioner, politician and guerrillero commander during the Peninsular War.

[1] Serving as irregulars, El Médico's band of guerillas fought in the battles of Alhama, Las Navas del Marqués and San Martin de Valdeiglesias.

Between 1808 and 1810 the guerillas fought skirmishes in Marrupe, Navalcarnero, Galapagar, Zarzuela del Monte, pinar de Trabadillo, Oño bridge, Estreño bridge, and in August 1810 the guerillas made an attack within the grounds of Casa de Campo, once the royal hunting ground for Spanish monarchs and is in present day, the largest city park in Madrid.

The smoke became unbearable for the soldiers inside and they were forced to surrender, for this action Palerea would later be considered for the Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.

Their main role was to disrupt the communications around the French general Marmont, providing assistance to the Earl of Wellington's combined forces of British and Portuguese troops.

During the years of the Ominous Decade (1823-1833), Palarea travelled to Santoña to establish a militia to combat Royalist forces that were being aided by the French.