Workers Solidarity Movement

Recently, Belfast WSM held our 2nd public meeting in the Culturlann on Saturday 16th August. Award winning documentary “Our Oil and other Tales” was shown and WSM guest speaker Pepe gave an overview of the current anarchist movement in Latin America. Members and guests listened intently. Issues that arose included the importance of social movements and its contradictions on the continent and the lessons that can be learned at home from the campaign against water charges and privatization of water in Cochabamba(Bolivia).

There is a strong history of anarchist struggle in South America. Anarchist ideas were first brought to South America during the 1880's and 1890's through the influence of european immigrants. Anarchist ideas found fertile ground and during the first two decades of the 20th century anarcho-syndicalism was the most important current in the latin amercian labour movement.