A-Infos (en) Canada, Montreal, May 16th: Argentina's Piqueteros: From popular uprising to self-management

[a-infos-en@ainfos.ca]

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.
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@yahoo.ca

For information on this event: azizch-A-spl.at  or CDAS office: 3983507
======================================
*  CLAC is an antiauthoritarian  anticapitalist initiative
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