Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

Nov 19: The Day Socialists Filled A Soccer Stadium

Saturday November 19 was a historic day for the Argentine left. It marks the day of the largest left rally in the past 30 years. Called by the Left and Workers Front (Frente Izquierda de los Trabajadores-FIT in Spanish), the mobilization brought together more than 20,000 people including factory workers, university students, teachers, nurses and families.

Left Voice

November 20, 2016
Facebook Twitter Share

Saturday, November 19 was a historic day for the Argentine left. It marks the day of the largest left rally in the past 30 years. Called by the Left and Workers Front (Frente Izquierda de los Trabajadores-FIT in Spanish), the mobilization brought together more than 20,000 people including factory workers, university students, teachers, nurses and families convened at the Atlanta Soccer Stadium in Buenos Aires.

pts_3.jpg

The Left and Workers’ Front (FIT) is an electoral coalition of three Trotskyist political forces: the PTS (Partido de los Trabajadores Socialistas—Party of Socialist Workers), PO (Partido Obrero—Workers’ Party) and IS (Izquierda Socialista—Socialist Left). The three organizations are united under a program for class independence and involved in anti-capitalist struggles to build a socialist workers’ government.

Gloria Grinberg reported for Left Voice from outside Atlanta stadium:

Grinberg interviewed worker militant Raul Godoy (a PTS member and representative in the Neuquén Province Legislature) and Andres Blanco (union representative) from Zanon, a well-known worker-controlled ceramics factory, Zanon (renamed “Fabricas Sin Patrones- Factories without Bosses-FaSinPat). The factory has been functional and completely worker-run since 2001. Godoy calls for rank and file workers to organize in their unions to fight the bosses as well as the union bureaucracy.

The streets filled with people marching on their way to the stadium. See the PTS (Party of Socialist Workers) column here:

Inside, the stadium packed in as people chanted and cheered, their flags waving in the sun. The sheer number of people gathered is astounding. See an aerial view:

During the rally people watched and listened to speakers from members of the FIT. Below is an excerpt from a speech by Myriam Bregman. Bregman, a candidate for the FIT in Argentina’s recent election is a human rights lawyer. She famously took former military leaders to trial for their role in torture and disappearances of people during the military dictatorship. Bregman was elected to Congress as a representative of the FIT and lives on the salary of a teacher as a political principle, donating the rest of her income to worker struggles.

Bregman spoke about women’s struggle and the need for an anti-capitalist women’s movement. She said, “We know that patriarchy and sexism follow capitalism like a shadow. But we will not leave the fight for women’s basic rights in the hands of bourgeois politicians who turn our demands into demagoguery.”

Other speakers spoke about need to combat government cuts and the union bureaucracy. They spoke about the need to organize a left alternative by organizing the most combative sectors of the working class. This sentiment was echoed by various speakers throughout the rally.

pan_y_rosas.jpg

The final speaker, the former Presidential candidate Nicolás del Caño (PTS) won 3.3 percent of the national vote in Argentina. This is a higher percentage than both Gary Johnson and Jill Stein in the U.S. elections last week. His campaign slogan: “Capitalism can’t go on!”. Del Caño also mentioned Left Voice, condemned racist police murders in the U.S., and charged Trump and Clinton with being enemies of the working class and oppressed people. Because of their dynamic election and leadership in class struggle as well as the fight for women’s rights and organizing youth, the FIT also has four seats in the National Congress and dozens of city council representatives.

Del Caño, or “Nico” as he is called in Argentina, called out the political caste who are paid super-salaries. After denouncing mainstream politicians for blindness to the realities of living on a worker’s salary, Del Cano demanded politicians be paid a teacher’s salary.

nico-2.jpg

With a final condemnation of Trump’s presidency, Nico declared “Our struggle is not only to end capitalism within the nation, but end imperialism throughout the world!” On cue, fireworks lit up the night sky. This historic event is an inspiration to the international left and Left Voice is proud to build with members of the Frente la Izquierda de los Trabajadores as we collectively seek to build socialism internationally and in the US. We invite like minded people to join us in this project.

Are you involved in a struggle or social or political movement? Send your struggle to Left Voice! Email us at [email protected] or send us a facebook message with your story.

Facebook Twitter Share

Left Voice

Militant journalism, revolutionary politics.

Latin America

Femicide: The Face of a Patriarchal Capitalist Society

On March 8, the feminist movement flooded the streets of Mexico as part of a global day of mobilization. Among these thousands of women and dissidents, the main demand was an end to femicide and sexist violence.

Yara Villaseñor

March 31, 2023

At Least 39 Migrants Die in Fire at Detention Center in Mexico. The State Is Responsible.

The events of March 27 marked one of the darkest chapters in the Mexican State’s anti-immigrant policy, a policy that is increasingly subordinated to the interests of U.S. imperialism.

Alfredo Cisneros, Mexican land defender from Michoacán, stands in a forest. He is the fifth land defender to be murdered in the country in 2023.

Alfredo Cisneros: Fifth Mexican Environmentalist Assassinated in 2023

Alfredo Cisneros Madrigal, indigenous leader and forest defender in Michoacán, Mexico was murdered on February 23. He is the fifth environmental defender to be murdered in the country so far this year.

Axomalli Villanueva

March 13, 2023

Lula Visits Biden to Repair Relations with U.S. Imperialism

Brazilian President Lula's U.S. visit shows that he's focused on maintaining the interests of Brazilian capital while aligning with U.S. imperialism and being careful not to alienate Beijing.

Caio Reis

February 16, 2023

MOST RECENT

“We Deserve a Living Wage:” on the Limits of the New Temple Grad Worker Union Contract 

A graduate worker at Temple reflects on the limits and strengths of the new contract won in the recent strike.

Biden’s Proposed Budget Nothing but Empty Promises 

Earlier this month, Joe Biden announced his budget proposal, with a lot of promises. But the only thing we know he’ll deliver is that “nothing will fundamentally change.”

Molly Rosenzweig

March 31, 2023

The French Union Bureaucracy Walks Back Demand for Complete Withdrawal of Pension Reform

After calling to put the pension reform “on hold,” the Inter-Union has requested “mediation,” even though the French government has rejected outright the proposal, showing that compromise is impossible. This proposition symbolizes the Inter-Union’s strategy of defeat. We urgently need to organize the rank and file to broaden our demands and generalize the strike.

Damien Bernard

March 30, 2023

“Lesser Evil” Biden Wants More Border Patrol Than MAGA Republicans

Over the weekend, Biden bragged about his support for even more resources than “MAGA Republicans.” to “secure the border” on Twitter. This is “lesser evilism” in action.

Molly Rosenzweig

March 28, 2023