Rebellion in Patagonia (La Patagonia rebelde)

Taken from the book "The Avengers of Tragic Patagonia" of Osvaldo Bayer.

For narrative reasons some of the facts names and ranks have been altered.

Buenos Aires January 1923

REBELLION IN PATAGONIA

Son of a bitch!

Río Gallegos 3 years before

Things have to be said without mincing words comrades.

Hotel owners are all a bunch of exploiters.

Yes! Despicable exploiters!

The waiters and kitchen staff of Hotel Argentino...

work from 6 in the morning through to midnight.

And for that they pay us a miserable 80 pesos!

And anyone who dares to look askance at it is fired...

and isn't able to get work in any other hotel.

There are two alternatives comrades:

Either die of hunger or kowtow to them.

We have to fuel the fire comrades!

There's no chance of winning here: I demand that the Federation...

calls a strike in the hotels.

Because otherwise we'll do justice with our own hands...

and not an exploiter will be left with a head in all of Río Gallegos.

Starting with my boss the bloodsucker Carballeira.

One moment comrades! Wait a moment.

Permission to speak. Go on.

You're right but we must be disciplined.

If hotels have to be burnt we'll burn them

but it must be by a majority resolution.

Because there are two fundamental words that shouldn't be forgotten...

in anarcho-syndicalism: discipline and organization.

Comrade Graña.

Comrades the time has come for plain speaking.

The issues about...

organization and discipline you've been listening to

leave out human values.

Speak plainly then.

OK but say once and for all.

Do you agree with the hotel strike? Yes or no?

Comrade Secretary General

you're restricting me in my turn to speak.

You're right comrade. But be concrete please.

I'm being asked for definitions here

but I'm replying that before a strike...

it's preferable to know where the individual's going.

What the revolution is for.

Well said Kropotkin that revolutions...

Comrade Graña we'll discuss that in the ideology lessons.

Right now we're dealing with the hotel staff strike.

Begging your pardon.

Comrade Danielewski reports now.

Comrades I have to denounce the Hotel España...

which pays Chilean workers half wages...

just for being Chilean.

We cab drivers...

inform the Federation of our solidarity...

with the strike by not driving a single passenger...

to the hotels! Not one!

- Strike! - Yes strike!

I want to tell you that I've come from Puerto Santa Cruz...

I want to tell you that I've come from Puerto Santa Cruz...

to bring you the solidarity of the stevedores

- ... waiters and wagoners. - Well done comrade!

And to inform you that if you declare a strike

we will also stop work in the hotels of Puerto Santa Cruz.

Long live the comrades of Santa Cruz! Hurrah!

- Long live anarchy! - Hurrah!

Comrades... Comrades...

Comrades

Patagonian exploiters...

value men less than mules or packhorses

since today one worker is replaced by another...

without any cost.

- Well said. - Very well said.

We're workers from all parts of the world.

Isn't that so German?

Eh Poles?

And you Chilean comrades.

And we are here united by solidarity.

Today that solidarity is called:

Support for the comrades hotel workers.

I ask then...

for us to vote for the strike for an indeterminate time

until we win.

I would say my friend what we need now...

is a bit of organization.

Nearly all the landowners are with us.

That's good. I'm glad.. For if the workers unite...

No no no. A thrust is needed.

Someone directing.

Who directs and knows how to defend our interests.

What do you think my friend?

We need a manager for our organization.

Finding one in Río Gallegos will be hard.

No no. We've already found him.

And he's very near.

Here at this table.

You Méndez Garzón.

But sirs are you forgetting that I'm the Governor of the territory?

What would they say in Buenos Aires? Imagine

Governor of Santa Cruz and Manager of the Rural Society.

Don't you think there's an incompatibility?

Do you think so?

From both jobs you will have a better perspective.

What's more think of your future.

Public office is very unstable.

You're a Conservative the National Government is Radical.

Gentlemen I would like to thank you for your presence in my house.

Thank you Carballeira we are in solidarity with the only hotel...

- ... which managed to scorn the strike. - Thank you.

And how did you achieve it?

Well quite simply with people of goodwill

with responsible workers.

Out! Out! Scabs! Blacklegs!

I'll kick your arse!

Look what you've done! Look!

- Look at that pan! - Get out!

- Out! - Let me be comrade.

- I have seven kids. - That's nonsense.

Leave everything we'll help you.

Come on! Be off! Out!

See German

that's what I'm lacking.

A woman.

A companion.

Of bourgeois upbringing as Graña would say.

But you won't deny that a good pair...

A woman!

To love. To love her well.

Damn it how nice!

One thing or the other.

Come on old man

Because I had one I know what I'm saying.

Because I had one I know what I'm saying.

First it was ideas...

and love.

Then when the kids came...

and jail.

Look what I gave her, poor thing.

My times in jail...

and the kids going hungry.

- Did you leave them in Germany? - Yes.

With the promise to bring them over soon to enjoy the freedom

of justice!

You certainly chose well.

Even in the uttermost corner there's egoist exploitation.

You thought you were coming to paradise?

Look I'll join you in the fight until we win

and then go to live with my own ones in earthly paradise

far away from men.

And where's that?

Listen I'm only telling it to you.

Among forests and mountains

by Lago Argentino.

- Blood sucker! - Criminal!

- Bastard! - Exploiter!

Comrades make way!

- Bloodsucker slave-driver. - Exploiter.

Gentlemen... Gentlemen I'm here on the advice of the Judge...

to settle this dispute.

A legitimate weapon of the workers.

- Yes yes apologize. - Not to us.

The ones you should apologize to are the workers...

you fired.

The comrades.

What's more they must be paid the wages owing up to today.

And deposit in the Workers' Society 1500 pesos as a fine sir.

1500?

As a fine?

Yes. For legal damages.

For the cost of organizing the boycott against you

printing of flyers and moral damages.

The staff's wages.

- Good! - Well done comrade!

- 1500 pesos! - Bravo!

- Good! - Bravo!

Children of the people chains oppress you

and that injustice cannot continue.

If your existence is a world of troubles,

I'd sooner die than slavery.

Those bourgeois, so selflsh,

who thus despise humanlty.

They shall be swept away by anarchists

to the strident shout of freedom.

Red flag, suffer no more,

exploitatlon must succumb.

Rise up, loyal people,

to the shout of soclal revolution.

Dignity, is not to be asked,

only unity can demand It.

Our shields you shall not smash.

clumsy bourgeols, get back! Get back!

Comrades. Comrades

Comrades with this money...

we'll be able to buy one of the most-prized weapons...

of anarcho-syndicalism.

- A printing press! - Very good!

A printing press to clarify things for our rural comrades...

and so that the ignominy of exploitation is ended.

Comrades.

don't think that ranch owners will be convinced by words.

We know it comrade.