Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta

Portrait of Blas de Lezo (1689–1741), artist unknown. Part of the Condesa de Revilla Gigedo Collection.

Blas de Lezo had an outstanding military career, from the time he joined the Franco-Spanish Navy as a midshipman in 1702 until his death in 1741, a few months after the defense of Cartagena de Indias. Through fortitude and perseverance, he overcame his physical impairments, which were the result of injuries sustained in battle when he was 25. Despite being left with just one eye, one leg, and one arm, his disabilities did not keep him from active duty and earned him the nickname ''Mediohombre'' (Half-Man).

He fought in the War of the Spanish Succession at Vélez-Málaga, in the relief of Peñíscola and Palermo, and in the 2 sieges of Barcelona. He spent more than 10 years in the Pacific, fighting against English and Dutch privateers. Later, he took part in battles in the Mediterranean, in the recovery of Oran, as well as in the Americas, to defend Spanish territories. In 1741, with just 6 ships and a contingent of around 3,000 men, he defended Cartagena de Indias, coming face to face with Admiral Vernon, who was in command of a fleet of 200 ships and 23,600 troops. He subjected England to one of the worst naval defeats in its history, meaning that Spain did not lose its stronghold on what was strategically considered to be ''the key to the Americas.''