Instituto Juan de Mariana

Instituto Juan de Mariana (IJM)

Background

The Instituto Juan de Mariana (IJM) is a private nonprofit group founded in 2005 by Gabriel Calzada, a climate change skeptic with connections to other conservative think tanks including the Ludwig von Mises Institute, Centre for the New Europe, and the Libertarian Alliance.1The Institute” (Translated from Spanish via Google), Institute Juan de Mariana. Archived April 22, 2013. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/kLPC6 2Gabrial Calzada,” SourceWatch profile.

The Institute launched with a seminar opposing the Kyoto Protocol, attended by Christopher Horner of the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Calzada previously represented the Center for New Europe in Spain, a free-market Brussels think-tank that had received funding from ExxonMobil. In 2009, Calzada authored a report that claimed spending on green energy had destroyed 2.2 million jobs in a report commissioned by the US Institute for Energy Research (IER) — a group that had received over $300,000 in funding from ExxonMobil as well as funding from Koch Industries.3Concealing their sources – who funds Europe’s climate change deniers?” (PDF), Corporate Europe Observatory, December 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

The Institute is named after the Spanish philosopher Juan de Mariana, who defended private property and encouraged limits on government.4Juan de Mariana,” Instituto Juan de Mariana. Archived December 26, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/BATBP

The Institute’s original mission is “to investigate and make known to the public Spanish, European and Latin American, the benefits provided to the general interests of private property, free enterprise and limited scope of public authorities.” It claims no political affiliation. The Institute’s revised mission statement is “Deploying the Network of Freedom” through a “Freedom Network,” “Knowledge Network,” and “Broadcast Network.”5Mission and objectives“(Translated from Spanish via Google), Institute Juan de Mariana. Archived January 5, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/TCRRY 6Mission, Vision and Values“ (Translated from Spanish via Google), Institute Juan de Mariana. Archived December 26, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ebm1u

Stance on Climate Change

According to Gabriel Calzada, founder and president of IJM, there is no direct relation between CO2 emissions and “supposed global warming.” He believes Humans have no capacity to cause climate change.7Concealing their sources – who funds Europe’s climate change deniers?” (PDF), Corporate Europe Observatory, December 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Funding

According to their website, “The Juan de Mariana Institute is a private non-profit organization without any political affiliation finances its activities thanks to the aid it receives from individuals, foundations and private institutions that share its objectives. The Institute does not accept grants or aid to political parties or government agencies.”8Become a Member” (translated from Spanish using Google Translate), Instituto Juan de Mariana. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/5YyJz

A 2010 investigation (PDF) by Corporate Europe Observatory reports that Juan de Mariana has been shown to operate with money connected to Koch Industries.9Concealing their sources – who funds Europe’s climate change deniers?” (PDF), Corporate Europe Observatory, December 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

In 2009, Mother Jones magazine reported that Institute Juan de Mariana received more than $100,000 from the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, a group which has funded a large number of other groups skeptical of climate change.10Josh Harkinson. “Climate Change Deniers Without Borders,” Mother Jones, December 22, 2009. Archived October 24, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MBcon

Key People

As of October, 2015, Instituto Juan de Mariana listed the following “Team” members:11Team,” Instituto Juan de Mariana. Archived December 26, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/tXLZw

  • Gabriel Calzada — President of the Instituto Juan de Mariana
  • Juan Ramón Rallo — Director
  • Raquel Merino Jara — IJM deputy director and director of strategy
  • Ji Castillo — Academic Director of IJM
  • Inés Calzada Alvarez — Project Coordinator
  • Luis Alberto Iglesias — Training Coordinator
  • José Augusto Domínguez — Communications Coordinator
  • Ignasi Bolto — Audiovisual coordinator

Contributors

IJM listed the following “Contributors” on their website, as of October, 2015:12Contributors,” Instituto Juan de Mariana. Archived December 26, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/cm0Bm

  • María Blanco
  • José Antonio Baonza Díaz
  • Antonio José Chinchetru
  • Fernando Díaz Villanueva
  • Albert Esplugas Boter
  • León Gómez Rivas
  • Fernando Herrera
  • Alberto Illán Oviedo
  • Adolfo D. Lozano
  • Ángel Martín Oro
  • Pablo Martínez Bernal
  • Gonzalo Melián
  • Ignacio Moncada
  • Francisco Moreno
  • Juan Morillo Bentué
  • Adrià Pérez Martí
  • Daniel Rodríguez Herrera
  • Miquel Rosselló
  • Diego Sánchez De La Cruz
  • David Sanz
  • Domingo Soriano
  • Luis Torras

Actions

October 1, 2015

Instituto Juan de Mariana’s president, Gabriel Calzada, is regularly involved with Atlas Network events. For example, on October 1, 2015, he spoke on “financial and political threats to the United States, highlighting the role of the Chinese economy, and immigration from Latin America.”13Luncheon with Dr. Gabriel Calzada on Threats to the U.S.,” Atlas Network. Archived October 24, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/EPAYr

November 2010

Instituto Juan de Mariana got $10,000 from the Atlas Foundation as an award for their “Green Jobs and Green Energy Campaign,” reports the Corporate Europe Observatory (PDF). Atlas, who has received funding from Koch Industries and other corporate groups, supports lots of think tanks all over the world. 14Concealing their sources – who funds Europe’s climate change deniers?” (PDF), Corporate Europe Observatory, December 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

May 2010 

The Instituto Juan de Mariana was a co-sponsor (PDF) of the Heartland Institute’s Fourth International Conference on Climate Change in Chicago.154th International Conference on Climate Change Conference Program (PDF), The Heartland Institute.

DeSmog found that 19 of the conference’s 65 sponsors had received over $40 million from ExxonMobil since 1985.16Brendan DeMelle. “Denial-a-palooza Round 4: ‘International Conference on Climate Change’ Groups Funded by Exxon, Koch Industries,” DeSmog, May 13, 2010.

June 2, 2009

Instituto Juan de Mariana was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s Third International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC3) in Washington, DC.17Co-Sponsors,” Third International Conference on Climate Change. Archived July 14, 2010.

March 8-10, 2009

Instituto Juan de Mariana was a co-sponsor of the Heartland Institute’s Second International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC2) in New York.18Co-Sponsors,” The 2009 International Conference on Climate Change. Archived April 28, 2011.

DeSmogBlog found that sponsors behind the conference had received a total of over $47 million in funding from energy companies and right-wing foundations, with 78% of that total coming from Scaife Family Foundations.19Heartland Institute’s 2009 Climate Conference in New York: funding history of the sponsors,” DeSmog.

September 2009

Shortly after President Obama cited Spain’s success at creating green jobs, Republicans brought in Gabriel Calzada, president of Institute Juan de Mariana to present a study that claimed each green job in Spain destroyed 2.2 jobs as a result. The study bore the letterhead of the University of Rey Juan Carlos where Calzada is Associate Professor, but was co-commissioned by the Instituto Juan de Mariana.

According to the study, “the Spanish/EU-style ‘green jobs’ agenda now being promoted in the U.S. in fact destroys jobs. […] The study’s results demonstrate how such ‘green jobs’ policy clearly hinders Spain’s way out of the current economic crisis, even while U.S. politicians insist that rushing into such a scheme will ease their own emergence from the turmoil.”

Calzada testified before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence, stating that “Europe’s experience actually suggests that this is precisely the wrong approach.” The study that Calzada referenced was debunked by the Spanish Government. Gabriel Calzada also appeared on Fox News to promote his study.20Josh Harkinson. “Climate Change Deniers Without Borders,” Mother Jones, December 22, 2009. Archived October 24, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/MBcon 21PERE RUSIÑOL. “The neoliberal lobby PP Spain in the U.S. boycotts” (Translated from Spanish via Google), Publico.es, July 18, 2009. Archived October 24, 2015. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/aqanB 22Jill Fitzsimmons. “Fox Hosts Author Of Discredited Study To Bash Green Jobs,” Media Matters for America, September 1, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/iLss9

2005

When the IJM was launched in 2005, it began with a seminar against the Kyoto Protocol that was attended by climate change skeptic Christopher Horner from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Gabriel Calzada, the founder of IJM previously represented the Center for the New Europe in Spain.

The seminar which examined Kyoto and the Spanish Economy attracted Alberto Recarte, president of Liberty Digital, who said that Spain would be the country to “Pay Kyoto in absolute terms.” IJM arranged the conference in collaboration with the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the University of Rey Juyan Carlos. Juan Jose Toribio, President of IESE in Madrid and former IMF Executive Director was also a speaker.23Kyoto and the Spanish economy,” LibertadDigital. Archived April 21, 2005. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/ccLkD

Institute Juan de Mariana Contact & Location

As of June 2016, Instituto Juan de Mariana listed the following contact information on their website:24TÚ,” Instituto Juan de Mariana. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. WebCite URL: http://www.webcitation.org/6icMHppDs

Institute Juan de Mariana
Calle del Ángel, 2, 28005 (Madrid)
91 221 9824

The Acton Institute previously offered Juan de Mariana Scholarships for citizens of a “country with an economy deemed by the Acton Institute to be developing or transitioning.”25Scholarships,” Action Institute. Archived October 24, 215. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/tb4z5

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