MIA > Archive > Nin > TUs Against Fascism
IN 1915, the Argentine bourgeoisie commenced to organize to beat back the rising wave of revolution. In this year the National-Industrial Association was founded. Capitalists, petty and large employers, landlords, shopkeepers, and others, are all obliged to belong to this organization under threat of boycott. Every member of the Association is compelled to pay a high entrance fee and a monthly contribution, for the purpose of forming a treasury with which to resist the attacks of the working class. No employer has the right to enter into separate agreements with his workers, or to make any arrangements with them, without the preliminary authorization of the Executive Committee.
On the initiative of the Association there was founded, also in 1919, the Patriotic League, an organization of White Guards, with local sections in all towns of the republic. In the capital and other large cities these are again divided into sub-sections, each one with its own corps. These corps are engaged in harassing the workers, in systematic organization of espionage within working-class organizations, and the supply of strike-breakers. The League has founded technical schools for the training of the latter; and it also possesses a school for its propagandists and agitators. All members of the League are permitted to carry arms. The Government grants the League full liberty of action, as well as moral and material support.
In all strikes the League leaves the traces of its sanguinary labors. Many militants have been killed. In the interior of the country, incendiarism and murder committed by members of the Patriotic League become facts of daily occurrence. At the present moment the League is increasing the number of its outrages. In January, 1923, a number of members of the League entered the head-quarters of the paper-box makers of Buenos Aires, who were on strike, and wounded a member who was guarding the door.
For the development of a Fascist movement of the importance of that in Italy, one of the most fundamental elements is missing in the Argentine, namely, a larger number of small landholders and industrial petty-bourgeoisie. Nevertheless, the social-economic condition of the country, and especially the extraordinary instability of the mass of agricultural workers who are scattered over immense plains, is propitious for the actions of bands, composed of landlords, students, and the petty-bourgeoisie of the towns.
In the large towns, however, the working class is more combative. If it were only well-organized and disciplined the Fascist movement would have no chance of success against it in any case, we do not believe that there will develop in the Argentine a large movement capable of taking over the State power. The development of a pseudo-Fascist movement would also depend upon the success of Fascism in Europe, the political and social events of which always have an immediate echo in Latin-America.
Last updated on 20 January 2023