[1] He was a member of the regional Federación Socialista Asturiana (FSA-PSOE) and the larger Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).
Rafael Luis Fernández Álvarez was born into a poor family on September 17, 1913, in Oviedo, the capital of Asturias, Spain.
[1] Fernandez, a supporter of the Republicans, fled into exile following the victory of the Nationalists and the establishment of Francoist Spain in 1939 under General Francisco Franco.
[1] Fernandez became the first President of the Principality of Asturias following the adoption of Asturian autonomy, an office he held until 1983 when he was succeeded by Pedro de Silva.
[1] Rafael Luis Fernández Álvarez died in his sleep at his home in Oviedo, Asturias, on December 18, 2010 at the age of 97.