Manuel Flamarique, 75; Promoted Bullfighting in Spain, Latin America
Manuel Martinez Flamarique, 75, one of Spain’s top bullfighting promoters, died Monday of a neurological disease in the seaside city of San Sebastian.
Born into a family of bullfighting impresarios, Martinez earned a chemical engineering degree from the French University of Toulouse. But the death of his father, Pablo Martinez, in 1968 caused him to switch careers and take over the family business.
His firm was called Chopera. and his nickname in the bullfighting world was Manolo Chopera. The word “chopera” is slang for “a glass of wine.”
Martinez hit his promotional peak in 1981 when he took over management of Las Ventas stadium in Madrid. He managed top bullfighting rings throughout Spain as well as venues in Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and the Basque areas of France and promoted the careers of many leading matadors.
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