Antonio Pérez

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This article is about the Spanish statesman. For the baseball player of the same name, see Antonio Pérez (baseball player)

Antonio Pérez (1539-1611) was a Spanish statesman, and minister of Philip II of Spain, born in Aragon.

Pérez's father was Gonzalo Pérez, Secretary to the Council of State, on his father's death Antonio took over his father's job. He was part of the Eboli faction in the court of Philip II, and took over leadership of the faction after the death of Ruy Gomez de Silva in 1573.

Pérez is most remembered for his role in the murder of Juan de Escovedo, the confidant of John of Austria on the 31st of March 1578. Though convicted of ordering the murder without Philip's knowledge, modern historical opinion believes it was likely the murder took place with Philip's tacit approval (J.H. Elliot, Imperial Spain, 266). When in in the Spring of 1579 it was proved by Vázquez that Pérez had withheld information from Philip, he was accused of betraying state secrets and imprisoned on the 28th of July 1579, but escaped to his home province of Aragon, where he sought the protection of the Aragonese nobility. Being in possession of royal secrets, which he published, Philip tried every means to arrest him, including the only significant use of the Spanish Inquisition by Philip for overtly political ends, namely the transfer of Pérez from Aragonese prisons to state controlled Inquisitorial prisons in 1591 (the Inquisition was the only tribunal covering Castile and Aragon). However, enraged by the breaking of Aragonese law that protected the ancient rights of the Aragonese (fueros), a large mob aided Pérez in the escape from jail. Following his escape from Spain he travelled to England, where he wrote his Relaciones later in 1591. This document, along with the Apologia written by William of Orange in 1580, are largely responsible for the Black Legend that has grown around Philip II. He later lived in France, where he died in poverty.