Spanish Libertarian Movement facts for kids

The Spanish Libertarian Movement (Spanish: Movimiento Libertario Español, MLE) was a group from Spain. It was formed near the end of the Spanish Civil War. This movement brought together three important anarchist groups: the CNT, the FAI, and the FIJL.

Their main goals were to work secretly inside Spain. This was during the time of the Francoist dictatorship. They also worked openly in other countries, especially in France. There, they helped thousands of Spanish people who had to leave their homes. These people were called anarcho-syndicalist refugees. The main office of the MLE was in Paris. Germinal Esgleas became the general secretary after Mariano Rodríguez Vázquez passed away in June 1939.

History

How the Movement Started

The Spanish Libertarian Movement began on February 26, 1939. This was after the fall of Catalonia in Spain. The CNT, FAI, and FIJL decided to work together in France. They especially wanted to help the many Spanish refugees there.

This idea came from a meeting of leaders from all three groups. However, some anarchists still fighting in Spain disagreed. They felt the new MLE leaders only represented people from Catalonia and Aragon. They also thought the MLE was controlled by those who didn't want to work with the Spanish government.

These "collaborationists" included people like Federica Montseny. She had been a health minister. Other leaders like Francesc Isgleas i Piarnau and Valeri Mas i Casas also held government positions. The MLE's leaders became stronger when Horacio Martínez Prieto resigned. He supported working with the government. Also, Mariano Rodríguez Vázquez died, and Germinal Esgleas took his place.

Other members of the MLE's national council included Germinal de Souza and Juan García Oliver. Some of these leaders later moved to the Americas. Others were held in French camps. Some even joined groups fighting against the Germans in France.

Secret Work and Challenges

The first secret work of the Libertarian Movement happened in Madrid. The FIJL started it right after the war. One member, Escobar, pretended to join a group called the Falange. He got papers saying he was a good person. These papers helped free several anarchists from a camp called Albatera concentration camp.

One person freed was Esteve Pallarols i Xirgu. He quickly met with other libertarian leaders in Valencia. They formed a new secret committee for the movement inside Spain. Their first job was to fake documents. These papers helped free more libertarian prisoners from camps in Valencia. These freed people were then sent to Barcelona and then to France.

To hide their travels, they created a fake company. It was called "Frutera Levantina." It pretended to transport fruit from Valencia. Génesis López and Manuel Salas helped set up connections in Catalonia and France. They met with MLE leaders in Nîmes. López then went to Paris and met Germinal Esgleas and Federica Montseny. But he only got a small amount of money. It was just enough to help fifteen people get to France.

When López returned to Barcelona, he learned that Pallarols had been arrested. He was caught by the Francoist police in Valencia. Many others were also arrested. Eleven of them later received long prison sentences. Pallarols himself was sentenced to 18 years. But he was tried again for other reasons and lost his life on July 18, 1943.

After Pallarols' arrest, a new secret committee was formed. Manuel López López led it, but he soon resigned due to illness. Celedonio Pérez Bernardo took his place. The police also caught many members of the FIJL in Madrid. In February 1940, 33 members were arrested. Their hidden weapons were found. Young Escobar was left for dead by the Falange, but a farmer saved him.

In 1941, Celedonio Pérez Bernardo was arrested. He was sentenced to thirty years in prison. Manuel Amil Barcia took over, but he had to hide in Andalusia from the police. The Madrid group, led by Eusebio Azañedo, then took charge. They connected with the CNT groups in Valencia and Catalonia. The CNT in Catalonia was confusing because it had two different groups.

One group wanted to focus only on union activities. This group included Eliseo Melis, who was suspected of helping the Francoist police. The information Melis gave led to Acebedo's arrest in Madrid in 1943. So, Amil returned to Madrid to lead the committee again. He was supported at a secret meeting outside Madrid. At this meeting, Gregorio Gallego became the first general secretary of the FIJL since the war ended. During the 1940s, people like Sigfrido Catalá Tineo and Ramón Rufat Llop helped organize resistance. They often faced arrest or lost their lives.

Joining Other Groups: The ANFD

The libertarians refused to join a group proposed by the PCE. This made them closer to the socialists. Both groups did not want the communists to be in charge. So, in late 1943, the Libertarian Movement and the PSOE started talking. They wanted to create a united group of non-communist parties. This group would be open to all anti-fascist forces.

In February 1944, the CNT supported these talks. They agreed to continue working with other political groups. Republican politicians also joined the talks. These included people from the Republican Left and the Federal Republican Party. They formed the National Republican Committee.

An agreement was reached in June 1944. It was made public in October. The new group was called the National Alliance of Democratic Forces (ANFD). The libertarians had different ideas about the type of government. But they agreed to use the term "republican order" to refer to the Second Republic. A national council was formed to lead the ANFD. It was led by Régulo Martínez. It also included the socialist Juan Gómez Egido and the libertarian Sigfrido Catalá.

In late 1944, the ANFD leaders talked with monarchist generals. They discussed what kind of government would replace the Spanish State. The generals wanted to bring back the monarchy right away. But the republicans and socialists wanted a vote on the government type. This led to a standstill.

The ANFD ultimately failed because of many arrests. The Francoist police arrested many leaders in late 1944 and early 1945. On December 21-22, Régulo Martínez and other ANFD leaders were arrested. In March 1945, Siegfried Catalá and other MLE leaders were also arrested. The entire PSOE leadership inside Spain was also caught.

However, the Libertarian Movement recovered quickly. A new national committee was formed in April. It was led by Ramón Rufat Llop and José Exposito Leiva.

Challenges and Splits in Exile

Juan García Oliver, a leader who believed in working with the government. This picture was taken when he was Minister of Justice during the Spanish Civil War.

The Libertarian Movement in exile faced a big challenge in 1942. There were disagreements between two main groups. One group, led by Juan García Oliver, believed in "collaboration." This meant working with other political parties. The other group, led by Germinal Esgleas and Federica Montseny, was "apolitical." They did not want to get involved in politics.

At a meeting in Mexico, the "collaborationists" presented their ideas. But they lost the vote. So, they decided to form their own group, a new CNT. This group published the CNT newspaper. The "apoliticals" published their ideas in Solidaridad Obrera.

See also

In Spanish: Movimiento Libertario (España) para niños