Socialist Party of Chile

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Partido Socialista de Chile
 
Leader Camilo Escalona
 
Founded April 19, 1933
Headquarters París 873, Santiago de Chile
 
Ideology Social democracy, Left Wing
International affiliation Socialist International and the Sao Paulo Forum
 
Website
http://www.pschile.cl/

The Socialist Party of Chile (Spanish: Partido Socialista de Chile or PS) is part of the ruling Coalition of Parties for Democracy coalition. President of Chile Ricardo Lagos Escobar represented the Socialist Party in the 1999 presidential elections. He won 48.0 % in the first round and was elected with 51.3 % in the second round. In the last legislative elections on December 16, 2001, the party won as part of the Coalition of Parties for Democracy 10 out of 117 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 5 out of 38 elected seats in the Senate. This changed at the 2005 elections to 15 and 8.

Socialist Michelle Bachelet Jeria won the 2005 Presidential election. She is the first female president to rule Chile.

Contents

[edit] History

The Socialist Party of Chile was co-founded on April 19, 1933 by Colonel Marmaduque Grove, who had already led several governments, Oscar Schnake, Carlos Alberto Martínez, future President Salvador Allende, and other personalities. After the Chilean coup of 1973 it was proscribed (along with the other leftist parties constituting the Popular Unity coalition) and split itself in several groups that would not reunite until after the return to civilian rule in 1990.

The socialist thought in Chile goes back in the middle of the 19th century, when Francisco Bilbao Barquín and Santiago Arcos Arlegui raised the speech of the equality in Chilean society. These ideas took force in the labour movement at the beginning of the 20th century and the communist, anarchist, socialist, and mutualist ideals were diffused through the writing and leaders as the Luis Emilio Recabarren. On the other hand, the impact of the 1917 October Revolution in Russia gave new impulses to the revolutionary movements, that in the twenties they were identified with the world communist movement, arising the Communist Party of Chile.

The Great Depression of 1930 submerged the popular sectors and media of the country in a serious crisis that carried them to empathize with the socialist ideas, being expressed in the establishment of the brief Socialist Republic of Chile in 1932. The idea to found a political party that to join with the different movements that were identified with the socialism crystallized in the foundation of the Socialist Party of Chile, April 19, 1933. In this way, in the Mountain street 150, they concurred: 14 delegates of the Socialist Marxist Party conducted by Eduardo Rodriguez Mazer; 18 of the New Public Action, headed by the lawyer Eugenio Matte Stolen; 12 delegates of the Socialist Order, whose main exponent was the architect Arturo Bianchi Gundian; and 26 representatives of the Revolutionary Socialist Action of Oscar Schnake for protocolize the Minutes of Foundation, his Program of Immediate Action and to elect his first executive Secretary General, Oscar Schnake.

Its Statement of Principles (statements) was:

The Socialist Party adopts as method of interpretation of the reality the marxism, enriched and rectified by all contribute them scientists of the constant one to occur social. The state of capitalist exploitation based on the private property of the land, of the instruments of production, of change, of credit and of transportation, necessarily should be replaced for an economic socialist in which said state private property be transformed into collective. The production socialized is organized, according to a scientific planning, for the benefit of all the community and the distribution is carried out according to the collective needs and not with end of gain or private benefit. During the process of total transformation of the system (capitalist), is necessary the action of a representative revolutionary government of the manual and intellectual workers. The new socialist state only can be born of the initiative and of the revolutionary action of the laborious masses. The socialist doctrine is of international character and requires a supportive action and coordinated with the workers of the world. To carry out this advanced the Socialist Party will support the economic unit and politics of the towns of Latin America for arrive at the Confederacy of the Socialist Republics of the Continent, as first step toward the World Confederation. The socialism fight by obtaining, as first phase of its action, the establishment of a state that draw the general lines of a restructures economic-social tending toward developing the productive forces, to surpass the cultural, technical, and social delay, and to eliminate the economic subordination.[citation needed]

The party quickly obtained popular support. Its partisan structure exhibits since the start some singularities, such as the creation of "brigades" that groups their militants according to environment of activity; brigades that live together next to the organic that its militant youths are given grouped in the Confederacy of the Socialist Youth, or the women, organized in the Confederacy of Socialist Women. In the second half of the years 30 they enter al parted the "Left Communist", conformed by a sector splits of the Communist Party of Chile, headed by Manuel Noble Plaza and comprising the journalist Oscar Waiss, the lawyer Tomás Chadwick and the first secretary of the POS, Ramón Sepúlveda Loyal, among others.

In 1934 the Socialists, along with the Radical-Socialist Party and the Democratic Party constituted the "Block of Left" (or Left-Wings' Cartel). In the first parliamentary election that participates (March of 1937) obtains 22 representatives (19 representatives and 3 senators), among them its Secretary general Oscar Schnake Vergara, elected senator of Tarapacá-Antofagasta, being placed by the PS in a noticeable place inside the political conglomerates of the epoch. For the 1938 presidential election, the PS participated in the formation of the Popular Front, withdrawing its presidential candidate, the colonel Marmaduque Grove, and supporting the Radical Party's candidate, Pedro Aguirre Cerda, who narrowingly defeated the right-wing candidate following an attempted coup by the National Socialist Movement of Chile. In the government of Aguirre Cerda the socialists obtained the Ministries of Public Health, Forecast and Social Assistance, given to Salvador Allende, the Minister of Promotion, trusted to Oscar Schnake, and the Ministers of Lands and Colonization, handed out to Rolando Merino.

The participation of the Socialist Party in the government of Aguirre Cerda finished on December 15, 1940, due to internal conflicts among the Popular Front coalition, in particular with the Communist Party. In the parliamentary elections of March 1941 the PS advanced outside of the Popular Front and obtained 17,9% of the votes, 17 representatives and 2 senators. However, the PS integrated the new left-wings' coalition following Cerda's death, now named Democratic Alliance, which supported the candidacy of the Radical Juan Antonio Ríos, triumphally elected. The Socialists participated to his cabinet, alongside Radicals, members of the Democratic Party and of the Liberal Party and even of the Falange. Oscar Schnake occupied again the accounts receivable of Promotion and the socialist Pedro Populate you Edge and Eduardo Squire Forrastal assume the accounts receivable of Lands and Colonization and Salubriousness, Forecast and Social Assistance, respectively.

Due to this hesitant politics, the youth of the party assumes a very critical attitude, what the expulsion of all the is worth him Central Committee of the FJS, among them Raúl Vásquez -its secretary general-, Raúl Ampuero, Mario Palestro and Carlos Briones. This situation accentuated the differences al interior of the community. In the IX Congress of the PS of the year 1943 Salvador Allende displaces of the General Office of the secretary to Marmaduque Grove and withdraws al party of the government of Ríos. Grove does not accept this situation, is expelled of the PS and case the Authentic Socialist Party. These conflicts cause that, in the parliamentary elections of March of 1945, the PS descend violently its voting to a 7% of the votes, diminishing significantly its parliamentary group.

[edit] After World War II

There was complete confusion in the Socialist Party for the presidential election of 1946. The PS decides to raise its own candidate; its secretary general Bernardo Ibáñez. However, many militants support the radical candidate Gabriel González Videla, while the Authentic Socialist Party of Grove finishes supporting the conservative socialcristiano Eduardo Cruz Coke.

After the failure of the candidacy of Ibáñez (obtains barely a 2.5% of the votes), the purges continue. In the XI Ordinary Congress the current "revolutionary" of Raúl Ampuero is imposed and him is assigned al academic Eugenio González the making of the Program of the Socialist Party where defines its north; The Democratic Republic of Workers.

The promulgation, in 1948, of the Law 8.987 "Law of Defense of the Democracy" that bans the communists, is again factor of division among the socialists. Bernardo Ibáñez, Oscar Schnake, Juan Bautista Rosseti and other anticommunist socialists support it with enthusiasm; while the board of directors of the party directed by Raúl Ampuero and Eugenio González rejects it. The anticommunist group of Ibáñez is expelled of the PS and they constitute the Socialist Party of the Workers; nevertheless the Conservative of the electoral Roll assigns him al group ibañista the name of Socialist Party of Chile, owing the group of Ampuero to adopt the name of Popular Socialist Party.

The Socialist Popular Party proclamation, in its XIV Congress carried out in Chillán in May of 1952, as its presidential standard bearer to Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, what causes the refusal of the senators Salvador Allende and Tomás Chadwick. Allende abandons the party and unites al Socialist Party of Chile, which, as a group with the Communist Party (outlawed) they raise the candidacy of the own one Allende in the call Front of the People. The triumph of Ibáñez permits the popular socialists to have in the government important departments such as that of Work (Clodomiro Almeyda) and that of Estate (Felipe Herrera).

After the parliamentary elections of 1953; where the Socialist Popular Party obtains 5 senators and 19 representatives, the popular socialists abandon the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo and proclamation the need to establish a Front of Workers, in conjunction with the Democratic Party of the People, the socialists of Chile and the outlawed communists.

Finally, March 01, 1956, the two socialist parties (Socialist Party of Chile and Socialist Poular Prty), the Party of the Work (communist outlawed), Democratic Party of the People and the Democratic Party they sign the minutes of constitution of the Front of Popular Action (FRAP) with Salvador Allende Gossens as the president of the coalition, which participates successfully in the municipal elections of April of 1956.

After the parliamentary elections of March of 1957 was carried to effect the call "Congress of Unit", where they flowed the Popular Socialist Party directed by Rául Ampuero and the Socialist Party of Chile of Salvador Allende Gossens. Is chosen like the secretary general of the unified Socialist Party; Salomón Corbalán.

July 31, 1958 is derogated by the National Congress the Law of Permanent Defense of the Democracy and therefore the ban of the Communist Party. In the presidential elections of 1958, the standard bearer of the Front of Popular Action (FRAP), the socialist Salvador Allende, loses narrowly the presidential election before Jorge Alessandri. In spite of the rout, the unification of the socialism had a new leader, and Chile was one of the few countries of the world in which a left marxist had clear possibilities to win the presidency of the Republic through democratic elections.

The overwhelming triumph of Eduardo Frei Montalva on the candidate of the FRAP Salvador Allende Gossens in the presidential elections of September of 1964 causes demoralization among the followers of the "Chilean way to the socialism". The National Democratic Party (PADENA) abandons the coalition of left; and the influence of the Cuban revolution and above all of the "way guerrilla that of Ernesto Guevara they are left to feel al interior of the Socialist Party. The discrepancies al interior of the party are perceived clearly. In July from 1967 the direction of the party expels the senators Raúl Ampuero and Tomás Chadwick and to the representatives Ramón Silva Ulloa, Eduardo Osorio Pardo and Oscar Naranjo Arias, who found the Popular Socialist Union (USOPO). In the XXII Congress, carried out in Chillán in November of 1967, a radicalization of the political line is produced, favored by the parliamentary one Carlos Altamirano Orrego and the leader of the Rural Confederation Ranquil, Mentioning Cauldron Aránguiz, leader of the faction "elenos"; al to define al parted as "marxist-Leninist" and to declare like inevitable and legitimate the "revolutionary violence" as a middle to obtain the economic and political power.

[edit] The Popular Unity government

Further information: Popular Unity and Chile under Allende

In the year 1969, the skepticism by the "Chilean way to the socialism" is majority in the Central Committee of the PS. Salvador Allende Gossens is proclaimed presidential preliminary candidate of its party with 13 votes in favor and 14 abstentions, among them that of its secretary general, Aniceto Rodriguez, of Carlos Altamirano Orrego and of Clodomiro Almeyda Medina. Nevertheless, the candidacy of Allende galvanizes to the forces of left, who they constitute, in October of 1969, the Popular Unity coalition of the Socialist Party, Communist Party, Radical Party, Movement of Unit Popular Action (split of the Christian Democrat Party) and former supporters of Carlos Ibáñez grouped in the Independent Popular Action, alliance that culminated with the presidential triumph of September of 1970.

October 24, 1970 Salvador Allende Gossens is proclaimed officially President of the Republic of Chile. There is world expectation; he agrees al to be able a coalition and a president marxists with the explicit commitment to build the socialism respecting the democratic and institutional mechanisms.

The position of the PS at first of the government of the UP is radicalized with the arrival to the direction of the party, chosen in the XXIII Congress, carried out in The Serene one in January of 1971, of the senator Carlos Altamirano Orrego; who proclaims that the party he should transform into "the Chilean vanguard in the march toward the socialism".

In the municipal elections of April of 1971, the leftist coalition reaches the simple majority in the election of managers, what carries to a growing polarization due to the alliance of the Christian Democracy with the sectors of right of the country. The retreat of the Party of Radical Left of the government, with its 6 representatives and 5 senators, generates that the government of Allende remain with less than one third of both cameras of the parliament.

In the parliamentary elections of March of 1973, the Popular Unity ruler coalition manages to block the initiative of the opposing Democratic Confederation to promote a constitutional accusation against the president Allende, to not to obtain this last one the two thirds of the votes required.

[edit] The Socialist Party under Pinochet

Further information: Chile under Pinochet

Nevertheless, the serious economic problems that faced the government deepenned the political division of the country. The Socialist Party, that had achieved its better historic voting, was opposed, along with MAPU, to any dialogue with the right-wing opposition. On September 11, 1973, Augusto Pinochet led the military coup against Allende's government, putting an end to the Presidential Republic Era started in 1924. President Salvador Allende refused to give the power to the Armed Forces, and committed suicide in its office of the Palace of La Moneda, submitted to an intense air bombardment.

The coup d'etat for the organization of the Socialist Party was desvastator. To the few weeks of the coup; 4 members of their Central Committee and 7 regional secretaries of the PS had been murdered. Other 12 members of their Central Committee were imprisoned, while the member remainders should be taken refuge in embassies, to be exiled or to pass to the secrecy. Its secretary general Carlos Altamirano manages to escape from Chile and appears in havana, January 1, 1974, in the act of anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.

The lack of experience in the subterranean work during the ban produces the break-up of the Secret Direction of the Party. The secret services of the military state infiltrate and one to one are persons under arrest their main leaders; Exequiel Ponce Vicencio, Carlos Lorca Tobar, Ricardo Lagos Salinas and Víctor Zerega Ponce. Their bodies have never been found.

Other victims of the repression are the former home Secretary, José Tohá González and the former Minister of National Defense, Orlando Letelier del Solar. Slowly the self-critical analysis of the consequences of the rout of the Popular Unit, united to the experience of the refugees in the "real socialisms" of Eastern Europe, al permanent contact with the western European social democracy and to the strategy to continue against the regime of Pinochet causes deep dissents al interior of its exterior organization, whose central direction was in the German Democratic Republic.

In April of 1979, in the Third Full Exterior one, the majority sector of the party, names to Clodomiro Almeyda as new secretary general, to Galo Gómez like the undersecretary; and expels of the party to Carlos Altamirano, to Jorge Arrate, to Jaime Suaréz, to Luis Meneses and to Erich Schnake under the charges to be "representative elements of the unpleasant aftertaste of a past in trance of beating and that testify the survival Implacable and resistant al development qualitatively superior of an authentic revolutionary vanguard".

Altamirano does not accept is situation, declares the re-organization of the party and calls to a Congress. The XXIV Congress is carried out in France in 1980 and in the; Altamirano declares: "Only the rigorous and very deep renewal of definitions and proposals of action, of lenguage, of style and methods of" to do politics" will do cash our revolutionary action (..) It does not it oblige us "to relaunch" the Socialist Party of Chile. It signifies, yes, "to renew it", to understand it as ours more precious instrument of change, like an option to be able, as an alternative of transformation"

In the 1980s decade the socialist factions revived as opposing assets al government of Pinochet. A sector; that of the calls "socialist renewed", case the "Socialist Convergence", alliance to which concur the Movement of Unit Popular Action, the MAPU Working Rural and the Christian Left and search, as a group with the Christian Democracy, through "methods not rupturistas" the term of the dictatorship. The other sector (majority among the socialist militants of the interior of the country) promulgates, for equal end, as a group with the Communist Party, the Movement of Revolutionary Left and the Radical Party of Anselmo Sule, the line of that of popular rebellion". After the First Day of National Protest against the state of Pinochet, occurred May 11, 1983, the activities of the different factions of the Socialist Party intensify.

The Socialist Party XXIV Congress (or "renewed"), directed by Ricardo Ñúnez concurs to the foundation of the Democratic Alliance, coalition of democrats-Christian, radicals of Forest Cimma, and sectors of the republican and democratic right, which calls to the National Protest Day Quarter (August 11, 1983) and favorable, in September of 1983, the formation of the Block Socialist, first intent of unification of the low, Chilean socialism Democracy Now!.

In the meantime the Socialist Party "Almeyda", as a group with the Communist Party, radicals of Aníbal Palm and the Movement of Revolutionary Left found September 06, 1983 the "Popular Democratic Movement" (MDP), which calls to the Fifth Day of National Protest.

The signing of the National Accord to the end of August of 1985, between the Democratic Alliance and sectors of related right al military state deepens the division of the Chilean left. Al gradualist focus of transition toward the democracy is opposed the way political-soldier of the most radicalized sectors, whose main exponent is the Patriotic Front Manuel Rodriguez (FPMR).

Al PS "renewed", now directed by Carlos Briones, adds him themselves the MAPU-OC, whose main figures are Jaime Gazmuri, Jorge Molina and Jaime Estévez.

In September of 1986, the way political-soldier of the "national uprising" finally is aborted after the failure from the "Operation 20th century", like al is known I try of murder of Pinochet on the part of the FPMR. The own PS-Almeyda begins to take distance of the Communist Party, al to consider some of its main leaders, among them Germán Correa Díaz, Luciano Valle Acevedo and Ricardo Solari, that the idea of the overthrow of the dictatorship is an unfeasible strategy.

In this way is imposed in the socialist left the tendency that a "negotiated exit" al conflict does not be able found al margin of the conditions created by the Constitution of 1980.

In March of 1987, Clodomiro Almeyda enters secretly to Chile and is presented before the justice to normalize its situation. The socialist leader is deported to Chile Chico, condemned and despoiled of his civic rights.

In April of 1987, Ricardo Núñez, new leader of the socialism "renewed" announces in the 54° Anniversary of the PS: "To Pinochet do not we be going to remove him of the political setting by the weapons, we shall defeat Him in the ballot boxes (..) Ourselves are convinced that the town is going to stop to Pinochet through the ballot boxes. That we are going to build that army of seven million citizens to face the different alternatives of the Chilean political panorama".

In December from 1987 the socialism renewed founds the Party by the Democracy, a party "instrumental" that serve as tool to supply legally to the democratic forces for participate in the Plebiscite of 1988 and in the subsequent elections. It is appointed to Ricardo Lakes as their president and upon they adhering some radicals, dissident communists, and even democratic liberals.

In February of 1988 is formed the Concertación de Partidos por el No (Coalition of Parties for the No), to which they adhere 17 parties and Chilean political movement, among them the ones that formed the Democratic Alliance, the PS-Almeyda and the Christian Left. The political direction of the campaign falls in the Christian Democrat leader Patricio Aylwin and in the socialist one Ricardo Lakes, which culminates existosamente with the results of the Plebiscite of October 5, 1988, where near the 56% of the votes valid emitted they reject the idea that Pinochet will continue as the President of the Republic.

After the plebiscite of October of 1988, the Coalition of Parties for Democracy requires a constitutional reform that eliminate the "authoritarian enclaves" of the Constitution of 1980.

This aspiration of the democratic opposition partly is received by the authoritarian government by means of the Plebiscite of July 30, 1989, where 54 reforms to the Constitution are approved in force, among them the revocation of the controversial article 8°, which served of base for the exclusion of the political life of the socialist leader Clodomiro Almeyda.

In November from 1988 the PS-Almeyda, the Christian Left and the Communist Party, among others organizations of left create a party "instrumental" called Amplies Party of Socialist Left (PAIS), with Luis Maira as the president and Ricardo Solari like secretary general.

[edit] The Concertacion

Further information: Chilean transition to democracy and Concertacion

In May of 1989, the PS "renewed" carries out (in an unpublished fact in the history of the Chilean socialism) internal elections by secret ballot of its membership throughout the country. The list is imposed of Jorge Arrate and Luis Alvarado besides the competitive lists of Erich Schnake and Akím Soto; and of Heraldo Muñoz (this last one supported by the internal tendency of Ricardo Lagos).

The winning list of Jorge Arrate represents the tendency of the "socialist renewal", follower of a permanent alliance with the Christian Democracy in the framework of the Coalition and firm champion of the unification of the party, to opponent of the other internal currents, more excépticas in this last matter. They finalized the elections al is called XXV Congress, that is carried out in the locality of Costa Azul, and in which the transcendental decision for the Chilean socialism is taken to abandon its traditional isolationism and to be incorporated the International Socialist.

In June of 1989, the Coalition appoints to the christian democrat Patricio Aylwin as its standard bearer for the presidential elections. Aylwin has imposed, in the internal elections of its party, to the preliminary candidates Gabriel Valdés and Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle and receives, to the few weeks of its election, the adhesion of the radicals of Silva Cimma and of the own one PS-Almeyda. Finally the PS-Arrate (or "renewed") low to its candidate Ricardo Lagos and adds to the candidacy whose was one of the main adversaries of the government of the Popular Unit, being president of the Christian Democratic Party.

The candidacy of Aylwin is imposed easily in the presidential elections of 1989, with more than the 55% of the votes valid emitted and the socialism renewed leaves fortified al to be chosen 16 representatives of the Party by the Democracy, 13 of which are militants of the PS-Arrate. In matter of senators, are chosen three of their militants (Ricardo Núñez Muñoz, Jaime Gazmuri and Hernán Vodanovic), but should regret the rout of Ricardo Lagos in its candidacy of Santiago West.

The PS-Almeyda obtains a total of 7 representatives, two of them chosen via Amplied Party of the Socialist Left and 5 of them chosen as independent in the ready Coalition. In matter of senators, is chosen Rolando Calderon Aránguiz by Magallanes.

The fall of the wall of Berlin occurred November 9, 1989 affects deeply the Chilean left, especially in its more orthodox sector, which accelerates the process of unit of the party, which itself concrete December 27, 1989. In said opportunity itself incorporates to the PS Unified the Movement of Unit Popular Action headline by Oscar Guillermo Garretón.

Between the 22 and November 25, 1990 is carried out the Savior Unit Congress Allende, where itself incorporán al parted; historic leaders as Raúl Ampuero and Aniceto Rodriguez and the Christian Left headed by its president Luis Maira and its two representatives (Sergio Aguiló and Jaime Naranjo). In that Congress they are chosen Jorge Arrate MacNiven like the president, Ricardo Núñez Muñoz as vice president and Manuel Almeyda Medina as secretary general.

The first challenges for the unified socialism were the exercise of the power and the relation of "double membership" that had the "socialist renewed" in the PS and in the Party for Democracy. Finally, the Socialist Party decides to be recorded under its name and symbols in the electoral rolls and him is given a time limit to its militants of two years to opt for the PS or by the PPD. A prominent number of socialists "renewed" do not they return al Parted Socialist; among them Erich Schnake, Sergio Bitar, Guido Girardi, Jorge Molina, Vicente Sotta, Víctor Barrueto and Octavio Jara.

In the exercise of the power; the socialist Enrique Correa (as the minister General Secretary of Government), Carlos Ominami (Economy), Germán Correa (Transportation), Ricardo Lakes and Jorge Arrate MacNiven (Education) and Luis Alvarado (National Goods) integrate the cabinets of the Patrician president Aylwin, while in the Camera of Representatives the socialist José Antonio Viera-Gallo and Jaime Estevéz exercise its presidency.

In the elections of 1992, is chosen president of the PS Germán Strap, supported by the sector "renewed" of Ricardo Núñez Muñoz and the fraction "tercerista" of the almeydismo, who imposes on themselves the candidacy of Camilo Escalona, Clodomiro Almeyda and Jaime Estevez, who they represent an alliance between the traditional supporters of Clodomiro Almeyda and a faction of the "renewed" of Jorge Arrate MacNiven.


[edit] Presidents elected under Socialist Party of Chile

[edit] See also

1973 election poster for PS candidate Fidelma Allende. Slogan reads 'Against the Black Market - Forward with the Socialists'.
1973 election poster for PS candidate Fidelma Allende. Slogan reads 'Against the Black Market - Forward with the Socialists'.

[edit] External links

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