Summary
Highlights
The Pulacayo Thesis was signed in November 1946 by members of the Bolivian Mine Workers' Union Federation (FSTMB) in Pulacayo, Potosí. This document was crucial for miners, who had been actively protesting since 1905, to establish themselves not only as a powerful union force but also as a political force with a clear ideology. The FSTMB's manifesto, conceived in Pulacayo, represented the miners' thoughts in 1946.
To understand the Pulacayo Thesis, it's essential to consider the political landscape of Bolivia in the 1930s and 1940s. During this period, the first left-wing parties emerged, such as the Revolutionary Left Party (PIR), led by José Antonio Arze and Ricardo Anaya, which had a Marxist tendency. Alongside it, the Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR) aimed to lead Bolivia towards Trotskyist socialism. Nationalist parties like the Bolivian Socialist Falange (FSB), which was anti-communist and leaned towards fascism, and the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR), which supported marginalized sectors and blamed the oligarchy for Bolivia's underdevelopment, also played significant roles.
Gualberto Villarroel's presidency was pivotal before the thesis. He implemented policies favoring the populace, including eliminating the 'pongueaje' and 'mitanaje' (forms of forced labor) and supporting Bolivian unionism. His famous quote, 'I am not an enemy of the rich, but I am a greater friend of the poor,' reflected his ideology. Villarroel's government established the FSTMB, whose leader, Juan Lechín Oquendo, convened the extraordinary congress in Pulacayo on November 8, 1946.
The Pulacayo Thesis was a pact between Bolivian miners and university students, drafted by Guillermo Lora—a militant and future leader of the Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR). Lora applied Leon Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution to the Bolivian context.
The thesis's core principles included the 'failure of the native bourgeoisie,' which it blamed for Bolivia's economic stagnation. It identified the proletariat (miners, workers, factory workers) as the revolutionary actors. The thesis advocated for a proletarian revolution from the people and also called for a fight against class collaboration (transnational companies) and fascism, which sought to suppress the labor movement.
The Pulacayo Thesis remains a crucial document in Bolivian history, representing the sentiments of the Bolivian miner in defending natural resources, labor, and the nation as a whole. It underscores the vital role of miners in Bolivian politics and history.