"Estábamos principiando": un estudio sobre el movimiento obrero en Chinandega, Nicaragua (1920-1949)

Abstract

En 1983 - 1984 realice una investigaci6n documental sobre el movimiento obrero nicaragilense durante los afios 1944 - 1946. Como resultado de tal investigaci6n cuestione la historiografia existente sobre el tema, principalmente en cuanto a las caracteriza­ ciones del movimiento obrero como "debil" y "artesanal", facilmente manipulado por Somoza. Al contrario, mi investigaci6n revel6 un movimiento sindical en rapido desarrollo que se convirti6 en menos de un afio en una fuerza políItica y social muy significativa, ya que tanto Somoza como la oposici6n antiso­ mocista luchaba para entablar alianzas con el Partido Socialista (PSN) que tenia hegemonia sobre el movimiento obrero. Sostuve ademas que el proyecto politico somocista enesa epoca era esencial­ mente populista y su estimulo al movimiento obrero no era mera demagogia sino una estrategia inspirada en parte en el Peronismo.

In 1983 - 1984, I carried out a documentary research on the Nicaraguan labor movement during the years 1944 - 1946. As a result of this research, I questioned the existing historiography on the subject, mainly regarding the characterization of the labor movement as "weak" and "artisanal." ", easily manipulated by Somoza. On the contrary, my research revealed a rapidly developing union movement that became in less than a year a very significant political and social force, as both Somoza and the anti-socialist opposition struggled to forge alliances with the Socialist Party (PSN) that it had hegemony over the labor movement. I further argued that the Somoza political project at that time was essentially populist and its stimulation of the labor movement was not mere demagoguery but a strategy inspired in part by Peronism.