South America
Casanova, Antonio, 1898-1966
A short biography of anarchist and baker Antonio Casanova, who fought in the Spanish Civil War and French Resistance before returning to Argentina.
Antonio Casanova was born at Betanzas in the Coruna province of Galicia in northern Spain on 7th June 1898.
An account of setting up workplace assemblies
A short account by Raul, a ceramics worker, of how workers won the right to hold mass assemblies in the factory during work time.
His factory was Zanon in Argentina, made famous when workers later occupied it in 2001 and began running it themselves.
Zanon factory occupation - interview with workers
An excellent set of interviews conducted with workers at the worker-run Zanon ceramics factory, occupied at the time of the Argentine uprising of 2001. It includes historical and background information.
This was published by Wildcat in December 2003 but has only now been translated into English (for prol-position news #6, July 2006), and a short introduction added. Although it is a bit old, it still contains unique insights into the situation, hopes, difficulties and dynamics of the occupation process and many personal interviews.
Coca-Cola blockade ended after legal challenges
Former employees from the Venezuelan bottling plant have ended their blockade after Coca-Cola sought a legal ban on the blockade.
Production at the Caracas-based Coca-Cola bottling plant had been brought to a standstill last week after former employees mounted a picket, demanding the company pay out £1,220,800 of overdue social security payments between 1,500 workers. Coca-Cola maintain that they will only settle with 65 former employees.
Workers blockade Coca-Cola bottling plant
220 protestors began a picket of Coca-Cola's Caracas bottling centre on Monday, refusing to move until they recieve social security payments.
The ex-employees of the Mexican-run bottling plant endured a heavy downpour throughout Tuesday night. After sheltering under sheets of plastic and cardboard boxes, they remained firm on their picket line. Coca-Cola have confirmed that output at all four of it's Venezuelan bottling plants has been halted by the action. Admistrative offices have also been picketed.
Peruvian indigenous group wins oil pollution battle
Local residents return to their homes having reached an agreement over oil waste after a 15-day protest.
Protesters from the Achuar Indian communities in the northern Peru forest have won an agreement for an Argentine oil drilling firm to stop dumping toxic waste into the rainforest. The Native Federation of the Corrientes River brought jungle operations of Pluspetrol Norte to a standstill, demanding a clean-up of the harmful waste produced by 30 years of drilling in the area.
Uruguay government moves to break transport strike
The Uruguayan government has moved to break up a strike among freight workers after the action caused severe shortages of basic supplies around the country.
A decree has been issued to the 25,000 drivers, which will treat any further strike action as a crime with legal consequences. The President of the Inter-Union of Land Transport Professionals has said the strike will continue regardless.
The drivers are striking over plans to increase the cost of fuel, and observers have warned that the government decree will only worsen the conflict.
Sugar workers in Guyana on strike for second day
Sugar workers in Guyana came out in thousands to demand wage increases.
The Guyana Sugar Worker's Union is demanding automatic wage increases for sugar workers to compensate for the introduction of a 16% value added tax starting in the new year. Around 14,000 Workers from sugar cane fields and factories, had their second day of strikes on Wednesday, and belong to the country's most powerful labour union.
Chilean police and school students clash
The BBC website is reporting that Chilean police have fired water cannon and clashed with high school students who were protesting in the capital, Santiago, over education reforms.
More than 100 were detained after rocks were thrown at police, officials said.
Huge protests in May and June had led the government to meet most of the students' demands, including scrapping a college entrance exam fee.
But the students say they are angry at the slow pace of President Michelle Bachelet's promised reforms.
Indigenous Peruvians shut down Amazon oil facility
The Native Federation of the Corrientes River (FECONACO) has shut down Pluspetrol's Amazon oil facilities in protest at water contamination.
Seven hundred Peruvians have occupied oil facilities in the rainforest territories of Loreto, on the border with Ecuador, halting production. After 30 years of drilling, protesters are demanding that steps be taken to stop the Argentinian company Pluspetrol from continuing to dump one million barrels of untreated toxic waste each day.
