THE LIBERTARIAN MOVEMENT IN CHILE
1840 to 1996
INTRODUCTION
The rise and fall of the libertarian movement in Chile is a fascinating story. There is more to the story
than mere historical interest, however. Chile is a country on the brink of development and hence is closer
to a European country than to a truly underdeveloped nation. Chile is as urban as any developed country
and even in 1900 about 20% of the population lived in cities, around the same percentage as Canada at
that time. Population growth is low and vital statistics are at the developed level. Women have a more
equal status with men than in any other Latin American country.
Chile is one of the few countries where libertarian ideology had hegemony over the labor movement.
The Chilean movement gave rise to an unprecedented level of popular unity, albeit for a brief moment,
uniting the vast majority of the population against the elite. Chilean libertarianism was notable for its
practicality, its populism, its unideological nature and its lack of violence. The movement was highly
adaptable, constantly changing its methods and not getting bogged down in dogma. The Chilean
movement also shows the contrary danger of being too "undogmatic", as many syndicalists became
corporatists.
While the past cannot serve as a model for the present, the Chilean experiences can give us some
ideas for building a libertarian movement. The level of popular unity they created is exactly what is needed
to crush the Leviathan State that threatens to swallow us. The importance of adaptability and of not
getting trapped in dogmas and worn out methods is certainly worth borrowing. In this nihilistic age,
wallowing in government and media- induced ignorance, their emphasis upon education and ethics should
be reconsidered. Chileans also built a large network of mutual aid societies, pointing out an alternative to
the present bankrupt Welfare State.
THE FIRST ANARCHISM - THE MUTUALIST MOVEMENT
The first form that libertarianism took in Chile was mutualism. Prior to the victory of what the elite
claimed was economic liberalism, Chilean artisans were organized into gremios or guilds. These workers'
organizations were an important force in the independence struggle and were the most radical sector of
the revolutionary movement. The new post-colonial government paid no attention to the workers
patriotism and disbanded the guilds. Thus the artisan's living standards went into steep decline and this
period proved to be the most difficult stage in their history...With independence nothing was gained by the
artisans. 1.
The printers remained the most active of the trades and by 1845, some two decades after the
banishing of the guilds, produced a newspaper, El Artesano Opositor, which criticized the conditions of the
working population.
A year later an independent journal appeared called El Pueblo. Its motto was What are the People?
Nothing! What will they be? Everything! El Pueblo was influenced by the revolutionary events in France and
French libertarian thought, especially that of Proudhon and Lamennais. Proudhon's writings were popular in
Chile as shown by contemporary booksellers catalogues. Even as early as the 1850's his writings were
readily available in bookshops. (translations into Spanish occurred in the 1870's.) Lamennais' book, Le
Livre du Peuple was translated and published in Concepcion as early as 1843. In 1847 a Sociedad de
Artisanos was founded in Santiago, but little is known about this organization.
El Pueblo attracted a coterie of young libertarian-oriented republican
intellectuals. They were
interested in the concept of voluntary association. The republicans felt liberty without equality was
meaningless and the only genuine way to achieve an egalitarian society was to create democratic
associations among the people. They also believed the artisans should be politically autonomous and
attempted to break them away from the aristocratic parties such as the Liberals and Conservatives.
THE EQUALITY SOCIETY
In 1850 two men returned to Chile from a lengthy sojourn in France. Francisco Bilbao and Santiago
Arcos had been present in Paris during the revolution of 1848 and had witnessed the role played by the
artisans. They were familiar with the thoughts of Proudhon and had held discussions with Lamennais,
becoming followers of the ex-priest. Bilbao can be considered fundamentally libertarian. 2. On April 10,
1850 Bilbao, Arcos, the writer Eusebio Lillo and a number of other radical republicans held a meeting with
representatives of the shoemakers, hatters, musicians, and tailors. They formed La Sociedad de la
Igualidad (Equality Society, or S.I.) with its journal, El Amigo del Pueblo.
The SI was devoted to the concept of "associationalism", the complete sovereignty of the people and
universal fraternity. They sought a project of moral, material and intellectual [development] for the
artisans. 3. They promoted the right of the people to organize, something supposedly guaranteed by the
Chilean Constitution but ignored by the elite. The SI called for the creation of a real republic and the
regeneration of Chile, 4. which was to happen through voluntary association. In October 1850 they started
a school for artisans, with courses in reading, arithmetic, music, English, dance, and ancient and Chilean
history. The SI can be considered the model, in both organizational structure and ideology, for the future
mutual aid societies.
The educational and moral theme runs right through Chilean libertarianism from the Igalistas
to the CGT of the 1930's. This was common to all anarchist workers' movements. As with the industrial
revolution in Europe, industrialization in Chile was very destructive of the family and society. Peasant
families are patriarchal. As long as people worked the land as a family unit and lived in village
communities this did not have too many negative consequences. Proletarianization and urbanization
changed this.
The man took his own wages, plus that of his wife and children and spent them as he saw fit. With no
community to provide a positive influence and a myriad of big city vices to choose from, the man would
often squander "his" money on drink or dice. Families already poor became even poorer because of this
and domestic violence flourished.
Early industrialization created not only a genuine working class but a lumpenproletariat with all the
irresponsible, violent and bigoted attitudes of that group. Society cannot exist where the
lumpenproletrariat predominates, only a jungle whose single law is "might makes right". To have a society
requires autonomy, solidarity and mutual aid, all of which require a sense of responsibility and democratic
attitudes.
Alcoholism, drug addiction and family instability [were] brought on by the peasants profound inability
to adapt to urban life and work. 5. The lack of education had a negative effect upon the working
population for it broadens the range of salaries, undermines solidarity and makes the peasant-workers
impervious to complex explanations 6. and therefore open to demagogues. The workers organizations
sought to create working class citizens and the means to do this was to civilize them.
THE SI UNDER ATTACK
The Liberal Party, which had counted the artisans among its supporters, was not pleased with
competition. They attempted to co-opt or destroy the SI. One way to cause harm was to accuse them of
being communists. 7. To this slander Franciso Bilbao replied, ...we are not communists and don't like
communism, which we consider a false system... 8.
Repression came soon. Police spies were used and thugs broke up meetings. The Church intervened
and denounced the SI from the pulpit. At one Executive Committee meeting sixteen men armed with clubs
and swords broke in and threatened to kill the members. But the Igalistas were able to drive them off by
defending themselves with ferocity. The attacks spread to the popular neighborhoods, where the SI had
many supporters, but the people responded in kind. The government, frustrated in its endeavor to snuff
out this spark of liberty, made it illegal to carry arms and thus disarmed the opposition. In spite of this
repression, the SI had 3000 members in Santiago.
The violence of the authorities increased. Houses were ransacked by the military or gangs of
government supporters. Francisco Bilbao was forced into hiding and many Igalistas were arrested,
imprisoned and tortured. On April 20 1851 the SI's last major demonstration in Santiago was violently
crushed by the State. This event marked the death of the organization. It had been a short but fecund life.
The SI sowed in Chile the seeds of...mutual aid... 9. One member of the group, Pablo Munoz, had formed
a branch of the Equality Society in the town of La Serena, where he enrolled more than 100 local artisans.
This association was less of a political movement than the SI and more of a true mutual aid society. The La
Serena society is the connecting link between the SI and the Sociedades Mutuales.
THE FIRST MUTUAL AID SOCIETIES
The repression of the Igalistas was part of a larger civil war occurring in Chile at the time. The winner
of this unequal contest was General Manuel Montt. Even though the artisans were defeated and the
country in the hands of a dictator, mutual aid was not forgotten. In 1853 the printers, influenced by the
Peruvian-born Mutualist, Victor Laynez, formed the first permanent mutual aid society. Its major function
was to provide medical services for the members. Two years later a similar organization was set up in
Valparaiso.
The depression of 1858 led to more unrest, civil war and repression. The printers Mutual suffered but
managed to survive. The artisans sided with the faction closest to their republican ideals and Montt was
overthrown. Jose Joaquin Perez became president. Perez guaranteed the basic civil liberties written into
the Chilean Constitution. From this point on the Mutuals begin to develop in earnest. It should be pointed
out how important the rule of constitutional law was in the establishment of workers organizations such as
mutuals, co-ops and trade unions. A people dependent upon the whims of a despot or brutal oligarchy
never have the freedom and security to organize lasting, and therefore effective, associations.
The Union of Artisans was formed in 1862 in Santiago. This organization inspired development of
societies in other parts of Chile. La Union was a general mutual for all artisans of whatever trade. It
provided medical services and attempted to create a workshop for the unemployed. An important goal was
education, and so the Escula Benjamin Franklin was formed to provide learning for the artisans and their
children. The choice of name is significant. Franklin was an artisan, an autodidact and espoused a
republican doctrine emphasizing self-help - just like the Mutualistas.
By the early 1860's some 70 co-operatives, both consumer and producer had been launched, but they
were not very successful. 10 In 1863 the shoemakers and the tailors created their own mutuals.
Valparieso was not far behind getting its Sociedad de Artesanos de Copiapo in 1864 and in 1866-67 Talco,
Chillan and several other towns set up their own organizations. Tailors and shoemakers organized workerco-ops and were inspired by the utopian socialist Ramon Picarte.
Disputes involving politics and religion within the Talco Mutual gave rise to a statute that allowed any
member to belong to any church or party and believe in whatever faith he wished, but the Society would
not discuss or take sides on such matters. This concept was made universal among the mutuals.
Distention was avoided and the mutual could concentrate upon its true goal of aiding the membership.
THE GROWTH OF MUTUALISM
By 1870 there were 13 Mutuals 11. but economic depression caused much suffering among the
artisans. The Mutuals were important in alleviating misery - as much as they could within their limited
means. In spite of misfortune, support for Mutualism grew and more societies were formed by individual
trades. Branches of La Union also spread to more than a dozen cities. As well as the usual educational,
health and welfare functions, La Union created the Workers Philharmonic Society in 1876.
The Philharmonic held classes in music and dance, sponsored theatrical and musical events, recitals,
poetry readings, chorales, and festivals for family members. Mutuals also formed societies against
alcoholism and created their own pharmacies. Nor were mutual aid societies restricted to independent
workers. Toward the end of the 19th Century mutuals of laborers and white collar workers were organized.
The Mutuals created a kind of alternate culture or society. The workers and artisans created their own
world, a micro-world...Inside these societies they created a parallel republic... 12. The thinking behind this
micro-world was the idea that society could be transformed peacefully through a civilizing process which
involved the application of principals of liberty, mutuality, solidarity, education and self-help.
In 1879 the Mutuals banded together and published El Taller (The Workshop) which became the voice
of mutualism. By 1880 there were 39 mutual aid societies. 13. Another paper, La Razon, (Reason) more
educational in nature, appeared in 1884. Three years later, The Workers Society for Mutual Aid was formed
in Valparaiso. This group is significant as it was the first mutual developed specifically for women.
Juana Roldan was the most influential of the women mutualist leaders. She was also director of the
Filharmonica Jos‚ Miguel Infant‚. Out of this society in 1888, developed the first true women's political
group, the Women's Emancipation Society. Two years later Roldan founded the Fraternidad de ambos
sexos dedicated to improving the situation of Chilean women, the advancement of education and hygiene.
Roldan was also a militant in the populist Partido Democratia.
MUTUALIST POPULISM
Mutualism had become an important force in Chile and the Radical Party, representing the "left wing"
of the ruling elite, tried to seize the leadership of the movement. The Radicals had a number of working
class supporters and used them to re-establish the Equality Society. It was a "front group" and nothing like
the libertarian society of Bilbao and Arcos. The problem for the Radicals was their worker members were
not keen on becoming stooges.
The printers mutual became more militant during the 1880's, engaging in a kind of proto-anarchosyndicalism. As a result, they had difficulty getting their journal, Al Gutenburg, published. The printers
were forced to use the pseudo-SI as a publisher and encountered the working class Radicals. Crossfertilization occurred, resulting in the Radicals leaving their party and uniting with the Mutualistas. This
group was the core of the Partido Democratia (PD) formed in 1887. The party's first act was to organize
support against the tariff on Argentinean beef which was hurting working people. The PD was the political
voice of the workers' organizations and was more or less controlled by the Mutuals, in fact, one faction of
the PD...was composed of anarchists...14. The PD was a forerunner of populist politics. 15.
The PD Platform included; political, social and economic emancipation of the people, independence
of the municipalities and protection of industry. One statute was a foretaste of state socialism. It
demanded the supremacy of the State over all associations, State assistance for health care and the
aged. The author of this clause, Malaquia Concha, was enamored of Bismarckian socialism, having visited
Germany, he felt what Chile needed was German social democracy. The state supremacy clause enraged
the Mutualists resulting in much dissension. After much pressure from then workers organizations, the
statute was dropped. Authoritarian elements remained in the party, forming a social democratic current
which split off to form the first effective state socialist party.
A TRAGIC INTERLUDE - BALMACEDA AND CIVIL WAR
Neither the PD nor the Mutualists were left in peace, for a civil war broke out in 1891, resulting in the
deaths of 20,000 workers and repressive laws limiting the right to strike and to form associations. The
dispute arose over a conflict between President Balmaceda, a progressive reformer, and the Chilean
Congress dominated by reactionary landowners. Balmaceda had been a member of the radical Reform Club
in 1868 and espoused many of the ideas dear to the hearts of the Mutualists. He believed that liberty
(was) sacred and necessary for all moral and intellectual growth of the individual, was opposed to
monopoly, in favor of freedom of work, self government and wanted to limit the authority of the state by
decentralizing power and creating provincial autonomy. 16.
That a member of the elite like Balmaceda should have such ideas and attempt to act upon them,
shows the extent to which radicalism had permeated Chilean society. The fact that he was defeated,
(committing suicide) also shows the limited extent to which these ideas were accepted by the ruling class.
The defeat of Balmaceda guaranteed a bleak future for the workers and Chile missed an opportunity to
become a modern society.
The Mutuals managed to pull through this disaster and proved their worth, since they were the only
force working to help the people in their plight. Once again, in spite of violence and oppression, the
movement grew. But this time there arose a strong tendency toward federation of the multitude of
societies.
NATIONAL FEDERATION
Already in 1888 mutuals began to federate at the city and provincial levels. The call for federation was
not altogether ideological. Wretched living conditions and low wages put a strain on the resources of the
local mutuals. They needed to band together for financial reasons. This illustrated the contradiction of
Mutualism. Most workers were too poor to help themselves very much, let alone reach the long-term goal
of a mutualist republic. One means to overcome this deficiency was to force a wage rise so workers could
pay for adequate services. This was the anarcho-syndicalist solution. The method proposed by the PD was
to make the employer pay the workers' mutual fees. The authoritarian socialists wanted to strip the
mutuals of their rights and turn social services over to a State bureaucracy. Luis Recabarren, chief
spokesman for the authoritarians ...urged absolute opposition to anarchist initiatives... 17.
On September 23, 1894 all the mutualist organizations in Chile sent delegates to Santiago where they
formed the Workers Confederation which later became the Congresso Social Obrero, (CSO) Chile now had
a national federation of mutual aid societies. By 1900 there were 240 Mutuals, 18 the comparison with the
39 existing only 20 years previously, shows the spectacular growth of the movement. The Mutuals under
the CSO did not organize just the usual activities of education and insurance but also fought for social laws
and protested the cost of living. In 1925 the CSO and several smaller federations united to form the
National Mutualist Confederation which had more than 100,000 members.
We leave the Mutuals at this point, (returning to them later on) not because they were no longer
important or had been superseded. A new libertarian force on the historical scene. This was revolutionary
anarchism, a movement more ideological, more forceful, a movement which emphasized direct action and
the long-term goal -abolition of the State and capitalism - to a greater degree than mutualism.
One should not, however, make the error of treating the development of the labor and popular
movements in terms of "social evolution". Such evolutionism is favored by marxist-oriented historians who
claim a progressive development from anti-diluvian mutualism, to primitive anarcho-syndicalism to finally
(fanfare please!) modern trade unionism and the socialist state. This schema is little more than
rationalization for their own politics.
Mutualism was not a "stage of history", but ideally suited the
independent worker. Since artisans and tradesmen continued to be an important sector of Chilean
population, mutualism persisted. And anarchism was not semi- proletarian primitivism, for Chilean
anarchists were workers and not artisans or semi-proletarians...19. Syndicalism did not "evolve" out of
existence, replaced by some "higher" form of trade union life. That the movement made errors goes
without saying, but it was largely snuffed out by left and right- wing authoritarians.
REVOLUTIONARY ANARCHISM
The early period of industrialization in Chile (1890-1910) saw a 50% growth in the labor force. While
wages rose, so did inflation at an even greater rate, causing a drop in real wages and hence
impoverishment. In the period 1911-25 workers spent 97% of their income on basic necessities. 20
Industrialization in Chile saw all the horrors associated with the Industrial Revolution in England such as
slums, disease, a high mortality rate, prostitution, drunkenness and family break down.
This misery was coupled by a level of brutality on the part of the elite the British or American worker
never experienced. 21. A thin band of capitalism was being imposed (mostly by foreigners) upon a society
which was essentially feudal in its attitudes. Capitalism requires the concept of citizenship - the free
individual, maximizing his advantage in a rational exchange. Someone who is guaranteed security, life and
property under a system of laws. This existed only in a very rudimentary form, if at all, in Chile. The elite
did not regard workers and peasants as citizens but as "human cattle" and if these "cattle" started
demanding rights, well, mow them down with a Hotchkiss gun!
At the very beginning of this era (1890) 100 nitrate workers in Iquique were shot by the army. Their
"crime" was going on strike. The seamen's strike of 1903 saw at least 40 workers killed. During the "Red
Week" of October 1905, a protest over inflation in Santiago, 200 people were shot by the troops. The
worst example of this cruelty was the slaughter by machine gun of 2500 Iquique nitrate workers in 1907,
known as the Santa Maria Massacre after the church yard where the butchery took place. Given this
catalogue of horrors, it is no wonder that many Chilean workers were attracted to a more militant form of
libertarianism.
Earliest revolutionary anarchist influence came from Argentine radical literature. The first anarchist
nucleus was organized by a Bakuninist Spaniard, Manuel Chinchilla. Carlos Jorquera, the first Chilean
anarchist, was influenced by Chinchilla. These anarchists were associated with the Printers Union. In 1892
they formed the Centro de Estudios Sociales and a year later the first anarchist paper, El Oprimido.
Jorquera formed the Maritime Union. The first attempted labor federation in Valparieso, FUPTS, was lead
by anarchists. Other anarchists who were within the CSO produced El Grito del Pueblo in 1896. One year
later, there were more than 100 organized anarchists in Santiago and Valparaiso. Kropotkin's and
Bakunin's writings began appearing in pamphlet form about this time.
While influences came from outside, Chilean anarchism was essentially indigenous and was not subject
to the anti-immigrant hostility of the local population. Being indigenous it was pragmatic, not wasting
energy in doctrinal disputes or suicidal adventures such as the soviets in Argentina or the Brazilian revolt
of 1918. Chilean anarchists were therefore never as ideological as those in other Latin American countries
and even though they suffered at the hand of the authorities, ...did not set themselves up for
repression...22.
Most of these early anarchists were young skilled workers who were mutualistas. They favored an
earthy and violent rhetoric in their attacks upon the corruption and iniquities of Chilean society. As the
Santiago weekly, La Tromba stated in 1898, Nothing will be left of the political, economic and religious
garbage of this sodomitic society...Everything will be destroyed. Or, the same year in El Rebelde, We wipe
our arses on the paper with which you print your laws... 23. For this last statement the authorities shut
down the paper and jailed the editor. Two important anarchists of the formative period were Magno
Espinoza of Rebelde and the trade unionist, Alejandro Escobar.
In 1900 the theoretical journal, El Acrata appeared. (Acrata means "opposed to society".) The visit
of Italian anarchist Pietro Gori in 1901 also contributed to the development of Chilean anarchism.
From 1900 to 1910 the anarchists were the best organized of all the radical groups. They were strong
in such trades as printing, baking, shoemaking, and the port workers of Valparaiso. There were anarchist
coal miners at Concepcion. Escobar founded the first important Resistence Society, the Carpenters Union,
which played a major role in the Santiago General Strike of 1907. Anarchists were instrumental
informing the Printers Federation in Santiago in 1902 which had 7000 members. 24. An early attempt at
forming an anarcho-syndicalist federation occurred in 1906 with the formation of FTCh, the Workers
Federation of Chile. Anarchists also led the Shoemakers Federation which helped organize FOCH, the first
successful national federation.
With the disintegration of the resistance societies after 1904 the anarchist movement went into
temporary decline. The Mancommunal movement was not specifically anarchist but some anarchists held
important positions in it. After 1905 the general strike was generally accepted by the anarchists. The most
important anarchist newspaper of the later period was La Batalla founded in 1913 and running until
repressed in 1925.
Many young intellectuals became attracted to anarchism, especially after WW1. University and
college students organized the Federation of Chilean Students (FECH) as an anarchist union. Some
important anarchist leaders of the Post-War period were Manual Rojas, a novelist who was later in the
IWW, the writer, Eugenio Gonzales-Rojas, Juan Chamorro, sailor and IWW leader, and Augusto Pinto, head
of the Shoeworkers Union.
OTHER TYPES OF ANARCHISM
* In 1904 Augusto D'Halmar formed Colonia Tolstoyana - a collective working of the land by peasants.
The colony failed due to its impractical nature. A Tolstoyan colony existed in Santiago as well and
published La Protesta Humana.
* The only anarchist assassination attempt was by a Spaniard, not a Chilean, against General Renard,
responsible for the Santa Maria massacre.
* Anarchist Communist publications included La Accion Obrera in 1915 and La Defensa in 1916. The
Shoemakers Union and the IWW opted for anarcho- communism in the 1920's, as did the CGT in 1932
* Anarchists influenced the Union Feminina in 1922
* Anarchists formed cultural clubs in the 1920's called Centros Libertarios.
THE RESISTANCE SOCIETIES
The Resistance Societies (RS) were inspired by anarchists and influenced by the Argentine movement.
A polemic ensued between the Mutualistas and Resistancias. Mutualists excluded the RS from their ranks
in their 1901 conference, yet Mutuals acted as resistance societies as well. The first RS was formed in 1898
by railway workers. Soon after groups formed among shoemakers, coal miners, printers, bakers and
carpenters. Escobar and Espinoza were important in the development of RS. Societies were concentrated
in Central Chile and found chiefly among industrial workers. By 1900 there were 30 of them. This number
mushroomed to 433 by 1910, with a total membership of 55,000. 25. RS's were decentralized, rotated
leadership and practiced autonomy. Out of the RS came a series of periodicals; El Alba (for coal miners), El
Obrero Libre and La Agitacion. During this period, and up to the 1920's, the workers struggled to reduce
the work day to eight hours and fought against such abuses as the "company store" and the use of script
for pay. They wanted a real cash wage that they could spend anywhere.
The first workers to win a strike were the printers. Strikes at this time were mini-civil wars since
employers refused to bargain and could undermine
strikes with strike-breakers and armed thugs.
Workers broke machines and sometimes rioting and looting erupted. Labor laws had little effect and both
workers and bosses preferred that the government keep out. Improvements in income or working
conditions during this period tended to result from direct action at the workplace. Some strikes were
successful and attempts to cut wages were beaten back.
In 1890 sailors in Iquique went on strike, demanding payment of wages in silver, not worthless paper.
The sailors strike sparked a wave of unrest involving the nitrate miners and workers further south. The
sailors won the strike, but 100 nitrate workers were wounded by troops during a demonstration. Women
in Valparaiso rioted over the high price of goods and 50 of them were killed by the military. 26.
Labor unrest occurred throughout the next decade, reaching a peak in 1907, with a march of 30,000
workers and their families through the streets of Santiago. An attempted general strike was broken,
putting a momentary stop to the revolt. The general strike failed because of a lack of co-ordination among
the Resistance Societies. This error was rectified in the future. Compounding the difficulties for the strikers,
was the depression of 1907 and the massacre in Iquique which, as one can well imagine, dampened any
enthusiasm for militancy.
The period 1909-1914 saw the rebuilding of the Resistance Societies and continued growth of the
Mutuals. The latter were not effected by the repression of 1907-08. Many workers retreated back to the
Mutuals after the break up of their unions. But this retreat did not last, as union membership grew from
65,000 in 1909 to 90,000 in 1913. 27. Anarchist influence in Valparaiso and Santiago was greater than
ever, and the Anarchists, through their Resistance societies...[kept] labor unionism alive in Chile in 19051916. 28.
In spite of repression, by 1909 the workers were very active, with 29 strikes involving 200,000
workers. 29. Once again, the wave of militancy was only temporary. The depression which occurred
immediately at the outbreak of WWI, caused hardship for the workers and therefore a loss of union
strength. The anarchists changed direction and formed tenant unions to reduce rents. They did not
succeed in this endeavor, but did ...form the basis for future tenant unions in the 1920's. 30.
THE MANCOMUNALES
The Mancomunales (Brotherhoods) came out of the mutualist movement and served both as mutual
aid societies and trade unions. Their main function was defending the membership, but co-operatives
were also launched. The Mancomunales were influenced by both the Resistancias and the Mutuales. Many
of the latter became brotherhoods and the mancomunales always practiced mutual aid. They emphasized
improvement in working conditions and safety standards, education of members and opposition to alcohol,
gambling and prostitution. The funds for these organizations were ...never fraudulently misused but spent
on schools, libraries, newspapers and mutual aid during sickness. 31.
The Brotherhoods federated. In 1904 the Gran Mancomunal de Obreras with 20,000 members,
sections in 16 cities and 11 publications was formed at a meeting in Santiago. While the Resistance
Societies were local, the brotherhoods were organized on a territorial basis, uniting different trades, first
on a citywide, then provincial and finally national level. They were the first true trade unions in Chile. 32.
Mancomunales used direct action and allowed for a much greater level of organization and solidarity than
the Resistance Societies.
The first mancomunal was formed in 1900 at Iquique, through the efforts of anarchists, by port
workers and soon had 6000 members - the majority of the nitrate and maritime workers in the North. 33.
Their journals included El Trabajo of Iquique and El Maritimo of Antofagasta. The Iquique Mancomunal
organized the Mutualist Party in 1900 and produced a paper, El Obrero Mancomunal. A strike by the
Iquique brotherhood in 1902 shut the port for 60 days. The strikers were supported by the PD as well as
other worker groups. All the major strikes in the North (Nitrate area) were due to the mancomunales. 34.
Nevertheless, they almost died out after the 1907 depression and military repression. Political chicanery
involving the Radical and Socialist Parties did not help. The brotherhoods revived in 1916-18 and were
involved in creating the Chilean Workers Federation.
ANARCHIST STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
FECh, led mainly by anarchists and IWW, fought for reform of the university system - proposing
autonomy of university, a university extension system and a revision of teaching methodology. A student
strike was called to push for these reforms. It had much support until the government succeeded in
dividing the ranks. FECh was seized by Communists in 1932 and the libertarian influence waned. The
Teachers Association formed in 1922 was strongly mutualist and had anarchist and IWW influence, as did
the Primary School Teachers Society founded in 1915. Like the student union, the teachers organizations
ended up in Communist hands.
ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM
Anarcho-syndicalists proved to be the most dynamic and successful element in the working class from
1902 to 1927. 35.
To divide the militant libertarians between "anarchists" and "anarcho- syndicalists" at this period is not
particularly accurate. The early anarchist movement organized the first militant trade unions. Very few
anarchists of the period prior to 1920 were anti-syndicalist, for hard-line anarcho-communists and
individualists were few in number. However, prior to WWI the labor movement had been fragmented (in
spite of anarchist attempts to the contrary) and only in 1919 do we see a mass syndicalist federation
arising in Chile. Thus, we can characterize this latter period as a time of fully developed anarchosyndicalism.
As with the Mutuales and mancomunales, syndicalist unions were not just about wages and working
conditions, but also emphasized leisure and cultural activities and perceived a glaring need for
constructive entertainment. 36. The anarcho-syndicalists put on a plethora of readings, concerts, dances,
plays and sports events.
During the general strike in Valparaiso in 1913 a central command of all the various unions was
formed. This strike was the most significant of this period and with its sense of organization was a
foretaste of future anarcho- syndicalist methods. The railway workers organized the Grand Workers
Federation in 1909 as a Mutual. Five years later, the mancomunales and resistance societies were smashed
by the government and these groups were allowed to join the "Grand", which changed its name to Chilean
Workers Federation. (FOCh) The union was an umbrella group containing all tendencies - mutualist,
populist, anarchist and socialist, thus becoming the first true national labor federation. As militancy
increased, the FOCH radicalized.
Luis Recabarren and other socialists in the PD hived off to form the Socialist Workers Party. From 1912
- on the anarchists found themselves having in dispute with a strong Marxist tendency which tried to seize
control of the workers' movement and channel it in the direction of state socialism. The Socialist's main
area of labor activity was organizing within FOCh. They attacked mutualism as yellow and counterrevolutionary, and as the monkey stage of workers organization. 37 The Socialists succeeded in splitting
FOCh into two factions, one devoted to direct action and the other to mutualism. There were at this time
over 338 mutual societies with a total of 98,000 members. This was greater than the membership of the
trade unions.
Opposition to the mutualist movement divided the population and did much harm. A division tore
apart the popular movement and disoriented the working class...The loss is the lack of communication
between the "traditional" and "moderate" with the popular movement, giving rise to grave consequences
from the point of view of class autonomy and unity. 38.
The militant faction of FOCh, an alliance of anarcho-syndicalists and State socialists had the upper
hand. In 1919 the union adopted anarcho-syndicalist principles and a regional federal structure. FOCh had
about 60,000 members. But the syndicalist FOCH was short lived, for it was soon taken over by the
Communists.
Most trade unions outside of FOCh in the period 1917-1922 were also anarcho-syndicalist. However,
ideology was not considered as important as practical syndicalism. Stability and success of the union were
above ideological considerations. 39 This practical syndicalism was also very militant. Between 1916 and
1921 there were 13 general strikes, 29 intersectoral strikes and 259 industry-wide strikes. 40 During this
period and for several years after, Anarchists enjoyed more prestige among workers in Santiago and
Valparaiso than did the Marxists...41 Numerous periodicals were founded to expound the libertarian
philosophy. To name but a few, Verba Roja, Numen, Accion Directa, (The IWW journal) and Mar y Tierra.
The cost of living was a major issue. As a result, an unprecedented movement for popular unity
arose, uniting anarchists, FOCh, Catholic unions, populists, socialists, the mutualist societies, professionals,
students and the middle classes. Called the Asamblea Obrera de la Alimentacion (AOA) it marked the
highest level of popular unity in Chilean history. The AOA demanded abolition of taxes and duties on food
and formation of free farmers markets in the cities. Demonstrations attracted more than 100,000 in
Santiago in 1918 and 50,000 in Valparaiso in 1919. The failed general strike by FOCh in Santiago
undermined the AOA and the movement was unable to push through its reforms. The coalition rapidly fell
apart. Chilean anarchists could never again organize such a vast coalition, for the Communist - induced
sectarianism made such unity impossible.
THE IWW
The Chilean IWW was first formed in Valparaiso in 1918 by dissatisfied anarchist dock workers.
Members of the Marine Transport Workers Union of the American IWW encountered Chilean dock workers
and sailors in the port city. Juan Chamorro was disappointed in FOCh, thought the IWW's unitary union
superior to federalism and helped organize the new union centre. Branches were also developed in Iquique
and Antofagasta. At a national convention in 1919, the Chilean IWW was officially launched and soon
expanded to 19 cities. Total membership stood at about 10,000 at this period. 42.
In 1920 the IWW led a three month long strike to protest the export of grain during a food shortage.
The government repressed both the IWW and anarchists, going so far as to frame the Wobblies with a
planted bomb. They failed to destroy the movement. The Chilean IWW joined the IWMA at its formation in
1922.
Hot on the heels of the 1920 post-war depression the employers went on the
offensive and from 1921 to 1923 were successful in beating back the unions. There was a massacre at
San Gregorio in 4 Feb 1921 with 565 nitrate miners killed. 43. IWW members were not involved, but this
gives an idea of the situation in which workers lived at the time.
Even though readily co-operating with the IWW, most anarchist unions did not join the organization
out of fear of losing their autonomy. In 1924 the IWW adopted anarcho-communism and radically
decentralized its structure. But this did not preserve the union. Stuck between the Communists and the
anarchists, the IWW lost many members to the syndicalists except for those in San Antonio and
Valparaiso. The Ibanez dictatorship helped destroy the IWW. The Wobblies revived briefly in 1942- 45.
One of the causes of the break up of the IWW was the dispute over regional (federal) vs. unitary union
structure. The port workers, bakers and printers hived off forming a new organization called FORCh.
COMMUNISTS VS. ANARCHISTS
In 1921 the Communists under Recabarren took over FOCh and a battle commenced between the
libertarian and authoritarian wings of the labor movement. This struggle saw the Communist unions on
one side, opposed to the IWW and Anarchists on the other. The Communists attacked and beat the
anarchists at a rally in Valparaiso in 1923, an act typical of their methods. The CP press slandered
anarchists and Wobblies as "police agents" and "fascists" - other normal tactic in their repertoire. This
bullying was not an isolated incident,
but part of a world-wide conspiracy to either seize or destroy democratic and libertarian trade unions. The
FOCh became a tool of the CP and non-communist officials were purged. Many non-communist unions left
and the federation was severely weakened.
The CP forced "ideological fine tuning" upon the labor movement, which up to this time, had
showed little inclination toward sectarian foolishness and inter-group violence. Thus by 1924 Communists,
Wobblies, Anarcho- syndicalists, Democrats and Catholics...had defined themselves ideologically...and
unification of the labor movement became impossible. 44. Once again, CP manipulation was not just a
Chilean phenomenon. Prior to Bolshevism, worker protest movements throughout the world, in spite of any
differences they might have, saw themselves belonging to the same family. Workers would flow in and out
of different organizations, or belong to several different ones. This pragmatism was replaced by abuse and
hatred – the ultimate result of which, was the destruction of the labor movement.
REPRESSION AND THE COUP OF 1927
Alessandri gained the presidency in 1920 on a pseudo-populist reform platform, however, most of the
desired changes did not materialize. The military revolted in January 1925, insisting the reforms take
place. Its goal at this point, was co-opting rather than repressing labor. Alessandri resigned and fled the
country. A junta of admirals and colonels ruled. A coup d'etat by Colonels Marmaduke Grove and "Paco"
Ibanez resulted in Alessandri being invited to govern once more. The number of strikes increased, reaching
a peak in May. Most of these strikes were by anarchist unions and not FOCh.
Workers at the Marusia mine in March 1925, fearing slaughter by the army, defended themselves with
rifles and dynamite, killing 36 soldiers. 45 This was one of the few times workers went on the offensive
and were not simply victims of the State. Alessandri decided to put a halt to the strikes and on June 4th,
6-800 nitrate miners were gunned down by troops at La Coruna.
The anarchist press was closed and mass arrests occurred in Iquique and other cities. Government
repression brought the 1925 strike wave to an abrupt end. In September Alessandri resigned once more,
leaving power in the hands of Ibanez who became a dictator. His rule was "legitimized" in 1927 through a
presidential election.
The labor movement went into decline after the repression of 1925. But the government was not the
sole cause of this. The economy was in depression and the unity of labor had been broken. Organized
workers were split six ways - Communists vs. Anarchists, federalists vs. industrial unionists and mutualists
vs. syndicalists. The Communists, for all their machinations, were in worse shape than the anarchists, as
FOCh lost most of its support.
The government passed a social security law demanding obligatory payments to the state. The Mutuals
to became active, joining hands with the syndicalists in an attempt to defeat the legislation. The campaign
failed since the CP-dominated FOCh refused to support the General Strike of February 20 1926 called
against the institution of government social security.
A new central, the Regional Workers Federation (FORCh), formed in 1926 composed of anarchosyndicalist unions and IWW dissidents. The union united both the regional and industrial union concepts.
FORCh didn't have long to organize. On Feb 23 1927 Colonel Ibanez formally abolished the labor
movement and union offices were raided, anarchist groups disbanded and all their journals shut down.
IBANEZ AND THE CORPORATE STATE
The generally accepted view is the decline of the anarchist movement was a result of the repression of
the Ibanez regime. But labor had suffered far worse before and come out stronger than ever. The
decentralized nature of Chilean labor made it difficult to destroy. It had been beaten down and revived
again in 1907, 1914, 1920 and 1925. All-in-all, 978 people were arrested and interned by Ibanez and only
12% of these were anarchists, the largest group being Communists. Nor were there any massacres. During
the dictatorship, the anarchist printers and stevedore unions functioned and anarchists marched openly
during the Mayday demonstration of 1928. Strikes were organized and the periodical Rebelion appeared.
Something else was responsible for the defeat, for the effects of the persecution were of secondary
importance in comparison with the consequences of the government's social policies. 46. Many anarchists
were co-opted by corporatism and the movement divided and weakened.
Ibanez was a "Paco", (a rude term for a member of the Carabineros or State Police) and since pacos
came from humble backgrounds, he had some sympathy for the workers. But this sympathy took the form
of corporatism rather than anarcho-syndicalism. Ibanez and his fellow officers were not conservatives who
wished a return to feudal labor relations, but wanted a corporate state to provide improvements for the
workers and also integrate the unions into the state structure. They, like Juan Peron of Argentina, a
decade later, were fascists in the genuine sense of the word.
As a first step toward creating a corporate state, Ibanez decreed a series of social laws, legislation
which had been talked about for years, but never acted upon due to opposition by the oligarchy. He then
called an election and the workers overwhelming supported him. (Winning 74% of the vote.) The landslide
victory is understandable given this was the first time a government had ever done anything substantial to
help the working class.
The new state also created so-called legal unions. The laws under which these unions were to obliged
to operate made many anarchist unions illegal. (One of the restrictions being that unions had to be strictly
anti-ideological) This measure was to be the undoing of the anarcho-syndicalist movement.
ANARCHISM AND CORPORATISM
Two main tendencies existed within anarcho-syndicalism. One of these was revolutionary syndicalism,
the other was "sindicalismo puro" or the gremialista (guild) tendency. However, the distinctions were not
cut and dried. Sindicalismo puro sought immediate improvements in wages and working conditions and
was not concerned with revolution or final goals. This group maximized the anti-ideological and antipolitical attitudes found generally within Chilean syndicalism, rejecting ideology and politics largely out of
fear of breaking workers' unity.
Ibanez was well aware of the differences between the puros and the
revolutionaries and took advantage of these differences.
However, syndicalist activities, regardless of stated ideology, involved immediate improvements of
the workers' situation and did not justify the existence of a revolutionary principle within the unions. 47.
The revolution was therefore something for the future, not now, and this resulted in an apolitical attitude
and a concentration on the day-to-day. The revolutionary and non- revolutionary anarchists often ended
up sounding and acting exactly the same. Furthermore, ideologically well-versed revolutionary anarchists
were few in number and a general vagueness of principles existed within the labor movement. Thus,
anarchist unions were reduced to organizations fighting for better conditions and for many militants the
"final goal" was reduced to the formation of a pure, powerful, democratic and unified trade union
movement, or the revolution was reduced to internal life of the union itself. 48.
Before Ibanez, all improvements in working conditions came through strikes. Anarchists were opposed
to the legislative process and this reflected the reality of the time, for the government only oppressed the
workers. However, the Ibanez social laws changed this. For the puros the new laws were seen as an
effective tool to help fight the capitalists, but they did not accept the "harmony of interests" ideology of
corporatism. While few anarchists, if any, went over to corporatism, they were willing to accept what they
thought were its benefits. The anarcho-syndicalist idea of an economy controlled by trade unions also had
superficial similarities to corporatism, enough to confuse many workers.
Thus, the largest section of the anarcho-syndicalist movement, the puros, were swept up into the
"legal union" structure. The puros did not seem think this was a break with past ideology and in the
majority of cases, we see a coherence in the actions and words before and after the appearance of the
Ibanez reforms.49.
Not only the union movement was effected by corporatism. It caused disputes within the Mutualist
movement as well. The directorate of the Mutualist Confederation wanted the membership to demonstrate
support for Ibanez in 1927. Many members were opposed, for corporatism was a danger to the mutualist
movement, taking away the reason for its existence. A pure mutualista slate fought in the Confederation
election to "save the movement from politics." The slate won the election, but then turned around and
supported Ibanez also.
THE DECLINE OF ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM
The anarchists never fully recovered from Ibanez and his corporate state. Even though they re-grouped
in 1931-32 to form a new syndicalist federation, and were still more powerful than the Communists, they
had lost their leadership role. The largest union centre was that of the legal unions, the National
Confederation of Legal Unions, organized in 1932 out of two different legal union federations. The Legales
outnumbered the revolutionary anarchists more than five to one. The Socialist Party soon came to
dominate the legal unions, as many of the Socialist militants were themselves former puro anarchosyndicalists.
In 1931 the General Labor Confederation (CGT) was formed, uniting the IWW remnants with FORCh
and several other anarcho-syndicalist unions. Rather than based upon the IWW industrial union concept,
the CGT adopted the regionalism
of the Argentine anarcho-syndicalist centre, FORA. The new federation had 25,000 members including
some of the most skilled and highly paid workers in Chile.50. The 35 different unions included the
Carpenters, Electricians, and Printers. The CGT's journal was La Protesta, which became the most
important libertarian newspaper in Chile. The Communists tried to revive FOCh but weren't as successful
as the anarchists were with the CGT. By 1936 the CGT still had 15,000 members with federations in 10
cities and affiliates in four others. 51. They had a number of successes in reducing the work week and
raising salaries. Several other anarchist unions remained independent of the CGT, such as the Plasters
Union who had their own newspaper - published until 1955.
In 1936 the Communist, Socialist, independent, legal and CGT unions met to form a new federation.
The CGT refused to join. Not out of fear of Communist domination, but opposition to the "legal unions".
The CP, Radicals and Socialists supported the legal unions and so the largest group of organized workers
ended up in the pocket of the political parties and not as allies of the syndicalists.
By 1946 the CGT was a mere shell of its former self. Part of this decline was due to the fact it suffered
more repression than any other union. Many of the poor who supported its campaigns against taxes, high
rent and inflation were drawn to the Popular Front victories in government and abandoned the anarchists.
The absorbtion by the parties of the "legal unions" also undermined them. In its 1931 congress the CGT
voted in favor of libertarian communism as the final goal of the movement. They proposed a more
ideological approach at the very moment when the dominant tendency within Chilean anarcho-syndicalism
was in the opposite direction.
Virtually all of Chile's labor unions came together in 1953 and formed the United Labor Centre (CUT).
This time the CGT joined. The CUT executive in 1953 had four anarchist members, Ramon Dominguez,
Hector Duran, Ernesto Miranda and Celio Poblete. Within the new federation, the anarchists controlled the
Shoemakers, Printers and Maritime workers unions. Although a minority, they had an important role to
play, during the early years of...CUT the principle opposition to the Communists came from the anarchosyndicalists. 52. CUT was dominated by the Communists in alliance with the heretofore anti-communist
Socialists.
With the new level of labor unity giving them confidence, workers became restive. Tension mounted
as strikes and demonstrations became common. "Paco" Ibanez was president again, this time by election
and not force of arms. Remembering the repression of 25 years previously, workers readied themselves to
revolt. In July 1956 the membership forced CUT to proclaim a general strike which shut down the entire
country for two days. But the Communist and Socialist majority soon agreed to end the strike, even
though Ibanez had talked of handing the government over to CUT. Another general strike was called in
1957 but workers no longer trusted CUT and the strike failed to gain momentum.
After this failure most anarcho-syndicalists withdrew from CUT and many of those remaining tended to
boycott union elections. By 1960 anarchist influence in the Chilean workers movement became minimal.
53. Anarchists who had been in CUT formed the CNT in 1960 and joined ICFTU and ORIT, but Victor Alba
writing in 1968 stated that ...its development has been slow... 54.
One of the anarchists that stayed in CUT was Ernesto Miranda, leader of the Shoe Workers Union,
who joined Clotario Blest's (radical Christian president of CUT) Movimiento de Fuerza Revolucionario,
(MFR) a group which attempted to unite the far-left, anti-electoral forces in 1961. In 1965 this group
became the MIR and Miranda was one of its leaders. Two years later, when MIR was taken over by a group
of young militants favoring armed struggle, Miranda (and Blest) withdrew. Miranda was also a member
of Blest's Frente Revolucionario de Accion Sindical which ran unsuccessfully in the 1972 CUT elections.
At the formation of CUT in 1953 the anarchists were more influential than the Radical Party, which
had a long tradition of working class support and the Christian Democrats who were to have a significant
following among workers. This shows that even at this late date, anarchism was still a minority movement
but not yet totally marginalized. (The group "anarchists" is listed in 1968 as having 1.8% of CUT
delegates but the MIR, an ML group is thrown in among them.)
THE POLITICAL ALLEGIANCE OF C.U.T. DELEGATES. 55.
year
anarchists
Radicals
Trotskyists
C. D. (*)
1953
7.9%
6.3%
0.7%
6.3%
1957
2.2%
9.0%
1.3%
14.7%
1959
2.0%
4.1%
1.1%
14.6%
1962
2.0%
6.2%
0.8%
17.9%
(*) Christian Democratic Party. The remaining votes went to Communist and Socialist delegates.
THE POPULAR UNITY GOVERNMENT
By the time the Popular Unity government of Salvador Allende was elected in 1970, the labour and
popular movements were dominated by the Marxist-Leninist parties. The only serious opposition to
Leninism came from the moderate left -the social democratic faction within the Socialist party, the Radical
and Christian Democratic parties. The anarchists were too marginalized to promote an alternative to
“state socialism”. Nonetheless, there were developments similar in spirit to the old anarcho-syndicalist
movement. These occurred spontaneously.
In October of 1972 a more or less general strike of employers, the "Bosses Strike" occurred against the
Popular Unity government. Workers responded by occupying factories and organizing production on their
own. In order to co-ordinate distribution of products and to defend themselves against attack, workers
organized Cordones industriales. In the countryside the council movement or Consejos, similar in function
to the Cordones was organized.
The poblaciones (poor working class neighborhoods) saw the creation of comandos comunales which
by-passed the inefficient government organizations called JAPS. Here were proclaimed the existence of
"self- governing neighborhoods" and for the first time, people who had previously been excluded from
participation in social life were able to make decisions concerning the basic realities of their daily lives. 56.
MIR tried dominating them, so the comandos were not free of politicians.
During the coup the areas where the cordones and comandos operated were singled out for attack by
the military. They were also the areas where the greatest resistance occurred. The largest number of
victims came from the poblaciones. Ironically, had a successful Chilean revolution occurred these very
same people might well have become the first victims of the "proletarian dictatorship" - like the anarchist
sailors at Kronstadt or the Anarchists in the Cuban Revolution.
AFTER THE GOLPE
The libertarian left began to reorganize in 1979, some six years after the military take-over. An
umbrella group, Socialist Ideas and Action (PAS) was formed uniting long time anarchist militants [and]
libertarian socialists...independents in the Unidad Popular coalition. These latter were former members of
the left-wing split-off from Christian Democracy, MAPU. In July 1982, PAS held a national conference in
Santiago and produced a Declaration of Principles. This stated that the group wished for a new social order
based on the free federation of the people for mutual aid and co- operation in the production of social
wealth. They also sought a further development of neighborhood autonomy and immediate recallability for
union officials. PAS, at this time had to work as an underground organization.
In a document released in November of 1982, PAS wrote that the Pinochet regime was most likely to
restore democracy in the face of growing unrest rather than risk a social explosion. They also felt that the
reestablishment of democracy would in itself led to an explosion as the movement re-emerges into the
open as the flame hits the air. 57.
THE RETURN OF “DEMOCRACY”
The re-establishment of parliamentary democracy did not lead to a social explosion, in fact the opposite
occurred. This is understandable. By 1989, Chileans had gone through some 20 years of violent upheaval
and only wanted social peace and normalization. Nonetheless, anarchist groups continued to produce
propaganda and participated actively in social struggles. El Acrata was re-established in 1994 by the KAS
group in Santiago. Like its predecessor of 1900, it concentrated on the more theoretical aspects of
anarchism. Syndicalism was favored and among other things, the group was active in protesting
unsanitary conditions in maximum security prisons. (However, at the time of writing this article (1996) I
was not able to contact either El Acrata or KAS, so it is possible the group has dissolved)
The Sociedades Mutuales still function, and in a society where the Welfare State is practically nonexistent, mutual aid plays a much greater role than elsewhere.
Co-operatives, both agricultural and
consumer, are found in Chile, although they do not have the same level of economic influence that similar
movements have in Western Europe or Canada.
There are other libertarian-oriented developments. Left-wing Christians and ex-Marxist-leninists who
rejected the vanguard party formed local "base committees" working in the poblaciones. They function as
mutual aid societies and centres to organize local issues. The Green Movement out- distanced the
Communist Party in the last presidential elections. Many of these environmentalists may be statistoriented, as is the case elsewhere, but a decentralist, local-control faction also exists. One example of this
is a group which encourages intensive gardening in the poblaciones, both as good environmentalism and
to improve the diet of poor Chileans.
Today (2005) a broad range of anarchist activity exists in Chile. Some of the groups involved are:
EDICIONES ESPIRITU LIBERTARIO
ediciones_espiritu_libertario@hotmail.com
CUAC (Unification Congress of Anarcho-Communists – Chile) Grupo Trabajo Casilla 16, Santiago 58,
Chile
http://struggle.ws/inter/groups/cuac.html
SOLIDARIDAD OBRERA (AIT)
Eduardo Torres, Galvarino Sito 32 Boca sur Viejo, San Pedro de la Paz
Soliobrera@mixmail.com
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alba, Victor, Politics And The Labor Movement Of Latin America, Stanford, 1968
Albert, Paul, Chile: Anarchism And The Workers Movement, BLACK FLAG
QUARTERLY Autumn 1983
Alexander, Robert, Organized Labor In Latin America, Free Press, NY, 1965
Angel, Allen, Politics And The Labour Movement In Chile, Oxford 1972
Balmaceda, Jos‚, Manuel, El Ideario Politico y Social de Balmaceda,
ATENEA No. 463, Concepcion, 1991
DeShazo, Peter, Urban Workers and Labor Unions in Chile, 1902-1927, Univ.
Wisc. 1983
Echeverria, Monica, Antihistoria de un Luchador, (Clotario Blest), Santiago, 1993
Flores, Jorge Rojas, La Dictadura de Ibanez y los Sindicatos, Biblioteca Nacional,
Santiago 1993
FREEDOM. July 9 1994, News From Chile
Greenfield, G., Latin American Labor Organizations, Greenwood, NY 1987.
Illanes, Maria A., La Revolucion Solidaria - Historias de las Sociedades Obrerade
Socorros Mutuos, Chile 1840-1920, SEDEJ Santiago Chile 1990
Johnson, Dale, The Chilean Road to Socialism, Anchor, NY, 1973
Necochea, H. R., Origen del Partido Comunista de Chile, Ed. Progreso,
Moscu 1984
NO MIDDLE GROUND, Fall 1983, The Re-emergence of Anarchism in Chile
Pointblank, Strange Defeat, NO MIDDLE GROUND, Fall 1983
Troncoso, M.P. Rise of The Latin American Labor Movement, Bookman, NY 1960
Skidmore, Thomas, Smith, Peter, Chile, Democracy, Socialism, and Repression in Modern Latin America,
Oxford, 1984
Simon Fanny, Anarchism and Anarcho-Syndicalism in Latin America,
HISPANIC AMERICAN REVIEW, Vol XXVI, Feb. 1946
Spalding, Herbert, Organized Labor in Latin America, NY 1977
Vitale, Luis, Interpretacion Marxista de la Historia de Chile, Tomo 5 1891- 1932,
LOM, Santiago,
FOOTNOTES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Illanes 18,19
Alba 88
op cit, 30
ibid 34
Alba 205
ibid
Another generation of elitists would accuse the mutualists of fascism!
Illanes 37
ibid 44
10.
11.
12
13
14
15.
16
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23
24.
25.
26.
27
28
29.
30.
31
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
Alba 246
Albert
Illanes 81
Albert
Alba 46
Skidmore 120
Balmaceda
Alba 46
Albert
DeShazo xxvi
ibid 62
In Britain in 1819, 11 were killed at Peterloo
DeShazo xxvii
ibid 93
Albert
ibid
Alba 246
DeShazo 130
ibid 134
Vitale 102
DeShazo 134
Angel 21
Vitale 94
Albert
Angel 21
DeShazo xxv
ibid 79
37. Illanes 141
38. ibid, 141, 144
39. DeShazo 155
40. Vitale 103
41. DeShazo 157
42. ibid 199
43. Vitale 276
44. DeShazo 207
45. Vitale 286
46. Flores 144
47. ibid 98
48. ibid 101
49. ibid 99
50. Angel 26
51. Greenfield
52. Alexander 98
53. Albert
54. Alba 253
55. Angel 218
56. Point Blank
57.Re-emergence NMG