Ramón Chíes

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Ramón Chíes y Gómez de Riofranco (13 October 1845 – 1893) was a Spanish journalist, editor, and political activist. He supported freethought, anti-clericalism and republican ideas, and fought for the right to vote and for the eight-hour workday.

Born in Medina de Pomar, Burgos, he studied science, philosophy and law in Santander and Madrid before turning to journalism. After the 1868 Glorious Revolution, he helped found the Federal Republican Party. He edited El voto nacional and, in 1882, co-founded Las dominicales del Libre Pensamiento with Fernando Lozano. While editing the weekly, he faced blasphemy charges and was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine, but was acquitted on appeal. In 1893, shortly before his death, he was elected to the Madrid City Council and pushed for workers’ rights, including the eight-hour day.