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Title: Birth of the FAI Author: Edgar Rodrigues Date: 1993 Language: en Topics: FAI, history, Portugal Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20060613012509/http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/spain/birth_fai.html Notes: Le Monde Libertaire no. 934, 25 Nov.- 1 Dec. 1993.
For some time now I have been of the opinion that our historians afford
little if any attention to the Portugese-speaking movement and
anarchists (in Brazil and Portugal). Most of them simply are not
familiar with the writings of militants from those countries, do not
translate their writings, the Anarchist Encyclopaedia ignored their
existence and FAI writers are still ignorant of their origins: where did
it come from? Whose idea was it to set it up? Who sketched its essential
guidelines? Who tabled the original proposal for an 'Iberian Anarchist
Federation' for discussion and prior consent?
The FAI - and this needs saying - was an idea, a proposal that emanated
from the Portuguese militant Manuel Joaquim de Sousa, with backing from
Manuel Peres Fernandes who had been deported from Brazil in 1919 by the
Epitacio Pessoa government and found refuge in Lisbon in 1923-1924 with
Doctor Pedro Vallina and his family.
The launching of the FAI was first mooted at the Congress of workers'
organisations from Portugal and Spain held in the Portuguese town of
Evora in 1923.
Manuel Joaquim de Sousa was an Oporto-born militant who was extremely
active and wrote books of great historical import. the congress was
attended by CNT representatives Manuel Peres, J. Ferrer Alvarado and
Sebastian Clara: the Portuguese CGT was represented by Manuel Joaquim de
Sousa and Jose da Silva Santos Arranha.
It was in fact at this get-together of representatives from the Iberian
libertarian trade union organisations that the Portuguese Manuel Joaquim
de Sousa suggested that the confederal libertarian movement in the
Iberian peninsula amalgamate, uniting Portuguese and Spanish anarchists
into a single body. From the outset he had support from Mauel Peres who
had been born in Spain but raised in Rio de Janiero, where he had
discovered Anarchism.
In May 1926, having completed his project, Manuel Joaquim de Sousa
represented the Portuguese CGT at the Marseilles Congress: Manuel Peres
was representing the Portuguese Anarchist union (UAP). Thirty delegates
from French and Spanish groups and from the IWMA attended. Armando
Borghi attended as representative of the Italian Syndicalsit Union
(USI).
The congress debated topics like:
so-called Revolutionary Alliance which advocated dealings with
politicians;
Finally, at that congress, Manuel Joaquim de Sousa, with Manuel Peres's
support, mooted once again 'unification of the Iberian movement' and
(this time) succeeded in securing agreement on the following points:
"1) Congress agrees to launch an Iberian Anarchist Federation, notifying
Portugal's Anarchist Union of this decision:
2) in view of the abnormal and dangerous situation obtaining in Spain,
the liaison committee is to be based in Lisbon:
3) its launch is a matter for the Portuguese Anarchist Union, the latter
being entitled to seek aid and support as well as collaboration from
Spanish anarchists resident in that place:
4) whensoever it sees fit, that committee will summon an Iberian
congress in order to put the finish touches to said federation:
5) the liaison committee will be provisional, pending that congress:
6) Spanish anarchists are to be consulted so that they may give their
endorsement to these resolutions."
"The Portuguese Anarchist Union's congress will be attended by a
delegate representing the Spanish anarchists' movement"
(unpublished memoirs of Manuel Peres, in the possession of Edgar
Rodrigues, published in the Lisbon newspaper 'O Anarquista' of 20 June
1976).
To escape from repression at home, the Spaniards were scattered across
the world just then.
On 28 May 1926, a military coup in Portugal forced Portuguese anarchists
to bring forward their planned congress and to relocate it to Valencia,
where it proceeded surreptitiously on 25 July 1927. It was attended by
Francisco Nobrea do Quintal, as the secretary of the Portuguese
Anarchist Union. Germinal de Sousa, son of the author of the draft
project to launch an Iberian Anarchist Federation, and a refugee in
Spain at the time was also on hand. From the outset, he was a member of
the new anarchist body and was a participant, along with other
Portuguese delegates, in the National Plenum of Regionals held in Madrid
on 30 and 31 October 1927. several delegates from the Portuguese
Anarchist Federation and from exiles were also present at the FAI
meeting on 31 January and 1 February 1936.
It is, as I see it, very important for the historical record and for
ourselves that we call to mind these true stories that sometimes have a
tendency to slip from our memories.