Luis Emilio Recabarren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Emilio Recabarren
|
|
|---|---|
Recabarren in 1906
|
|
| Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile | |
| In office 15 May 1921 – 15 May 1924 |
|
| Preceded by | Manuel Vargas |
| Succeeded by | Luis Latrille Parra |
| Constituency | Antofagasta |
| In office 5 June 1906 – 5 June 1906 |
|
| Preceded by | Francisco Ignacion Abarca González |
| Succeeded by | Lindorfo Alarcón Hevia |
| Constituency | Antofagasta |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Luis Emilio Recabarren Serrano
6 July 1876 Valparaíso, Chile |
| Died | 19 December 1924 (aged 48) Santiago de Chile, Chile |
| Political party | Democrat Party (1894–1912) Socialist Workers' Party (1912–1922) Communist Party of Chile (1922–1924) |
| Parents | José Agustín Recabarren Juana Rosa Serrano |
| Occupation | Typographer |
Luis Emilio Recabarren Serrano (July 6, 1876 – December 19, 1924) was an important Chilean political figure. He was elected several times as a deputy, which is like a representative in the government. He was a key leader in helping workers in Chile.
Early Life and Activism
Luis Emilio Recabarren was born in the port city of Valparaíso, Chile, in 1876. His parents were José Agustín Recabarren and Juana Rosa Serrano. His family was very poor, and he started working at a young age as a typographer, someone who sets type for printing. This helped his family financially.
Even though he didn't go to school for very long, Luis loved to read and taught himself many things. He married Guadalupe del Canto and they had two children. After she passed away, he married Teresa Flores, who supported him in his political work.
After traveling to places like Antofagasta, Taltal, and Tocopilla, Recabarren saw how difficult life was for nitrate workers. They lived in extreme poverty and were treated almost like slaves. He decided he had to do something to help them.
In 1894, he joined the Democrat Party of Chile. He became a powerful speaker and started many groups and newspapers to bring workers together. He first focused his efforts in Valparaíso, where he became the editor of a newspaper called El Trabajo (Work). Because he strongly criticized the government's rules about workers, he was put in jail for eight months. In 1905, he moved his family to Antofagasta and started another newspaper called La Vanguardia (The Vanguard).
Recabarren's Political Journey
On May 15, 1906, Luis Emilio Recabarren was elected as a deputy for Tocopilla. He was supposed to represent the Democrat Party in the National Congress. However, he was not allowed to take his seat because he refused to swear on a bible. This was because he did not believe in God.
He moved his family to Iquique. He was very active in organizing workers, both politically and in their jobs. Because of this, the government tried to arrest him again, and he had to escape to Argentina. In Argentina, he joined the Socialist Party. In 1908, he traveled to Europe, visiting Spain, France, and Belgium, before returning to Chile at the end of that year.
After coming back to Chile, Recabarren was arrested and jailed in Los Andes for 18 months, from February 1909 to August 1910. In 1911, he moved back to Iquique. He was not happy with his old party. So, on June 4, 1912, he and a group of nitrate workers started a new party called the Socialist Workers' Party (POS).
Just before that, on May 20, 1912, he had started the newspaper El Despertar de los trabajadores (The Awakening of the Workers). He used this newspaper to share his ideas. Even though the newspaper was banned many times, Recabarren kept sharing his socialist beliefs wherever he could.
| "Reading is one of the means of emancipation for the working classes. That is why we recommend that they read widely." |
| Luis Emilio Recabarren |
He later moved to Antofagasta, where he founded another newspaper called El Socialista (The Socialist). In 1915, he ran for Congress in Antofagasta but lost. Many believed this was due to widespread cheating in the election. He then moved back to Valparaíso, living there until 1916, when he began a long trip across Chile, all the way to Punta Arenas. In 1918, he visited Argentina and helped create the Communist Party of Argentina.
After returning to Chile, he attended a meeting of his party. There, they decided to join the Third International and change their name to the Communist Party of Chile. In 1919, he was sent away to the south of the country for three months because he spoke out against the government. He also ran for president in the 1920 Chilean presidential election. He was in jail during the election, so he couldn't campaign and received very few votes. However, he was elected as a deputy for Antofagasta again in 1921. After moving to Santiago, he started and edited a newspaper called La Justicia (Justice).
Recabarren was very interested in the October Revolution in Russia. After his party officially became the Communist Party of Chile on January 22, 1922, he traveled to the USSR. He was the only delegate from Chile at the Union Congress of the Third International in Moscow. When he returned in January 1923, many workers' groups welcomed him as a hero.
Later Life and Legacy
Luis Emilio Recabarren was a very passionate person. After he returned to Chile, his ideas and plans were strongly criticized by many in the central committee of the Communist Party of Chile. They felt he was too soft and too much like social-democrats, not agreeing enough with the ideas of the Comintern. These strong criticisms, along with personal difficulties, made him feel very sad and discouraged.
Luis Emilio Recabarren passed away on December 19, 1924. He is remembered as a pioneering leader who fought tirelessly for the rights and well-being of Chilean workers. His efforts helped shape the labor movement and political landscape of Chile.
See also
In Spanish: Luis Emilio Recabarren para niños
