Luis Araquistain was born in Santander, Spain, in 1886. A member of the Socialist Party he became a senior adviser to the prime minister, Francisco Largo Caballero.

In July 1936, Araquistain became the Popular Front government's ambassador to France and was responsible for purchasing arms for the Republican Army as director of the Arms Purchasing Commission.

When he returned to Spain in 1937 the Communist Party sought to remove his political office and had him imprisoned. After his release he went to live in France.

Luis Araquistain died in 1959.