[IPSM] May 16th: Argentina's Piqueteros: From popular uprising to self-management

[Aziz Choudry]

*Please forward and crosspost*

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Argentina's Piqueteros: From popular uprising to self-management

A SEMINAR with Argentinian piquetero (unemployed worker) activists

*Elsa Gladys Montero (Fénix Salud Co-op - a worker-occupied health 
clinic in Buenos Aires - and Movimiento Nacional de Empresas Recuperadas/National
 Movement of Reclaimed Factories) 

AND: 

*Valdemar Jara (lawyer/activist, MTD Solano)

WHEN: 

Monday, May 16th, 1-2.30pm

WHERE: 

Seminar Room (Rm 100), Centre for Developing-Area Studies (CDAS) McGill 
University, 3715 Peel St (just below Ave du Pins, immediately above the 
Education department building (Peel Metro)) 

(Spanish-English translation provided). All welcome to attend.

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Amidst an economic and political crisis, Argentina has witnessed massive
 demonstrations that led to the resignation of a president in December 
of 2001. The social mobilization remains alive and well. Over 
200 factories are controlled by workers. Over 300 small businesses and 
co-ops are run by unemployed men and women. Many neighbourhood 
collectives have also been created.

The MTDs are a network of unemployed workers, the Piqueteros, created in
 Argentina towards the end of the 1990s. Worker-controlled factories in 
Argentina are a new phenomenon.  Today, most of these factories are 
organized as co-ops and share profits equally amongst their workers. 
These networks, organizing models and social movements in Argentina 
continue to attract worldwide interest.

Two activists from this movement are currently touring Quebec.

Elsa Gladys Montero is a founding member of the Fénix Salud 
Co-op. The Co-op runsthe Instituto de Medecina y Cirurgia Cardiovascular
 (IMECC) medical clinic in Buenos Aires, which now has 45 workers. Elsa 
has worked in the clinic for 27 years. She has thus lived all the steps 
from the closing of the clinic, to mass firings to the occupation of 
this workplace. Elsa is also active within the National Movement of 
Reclaimed Factories (MNER - Movimiento Nacional de Empresas Recuperadas)
 which organizes on the basis of three principles: OCCUPY, RESIST AND 
PRODUCE.

Valdemar Jara, piquetero from MTD Solano is a young lawyer 
originally from the poor areas of Buenos Aires. He works actively with 
several working groups that denounce repression and criminalization of 
resistance by the neoliberal State, and defends those who are its 
victims (45 detained and 4500 trials).

This event is part of a 3-week Argentina-Quebec Caravan organized by 
Komiteal – CLAC Latin America.  

For more information, contact: komiteal at yahoo.ca

For information on this event: azizch at spl.at  or CDAS office: 3983507


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