Jose Carlos Mariátegui

Jose Carlos Mariátegui (June 14th 1894, Moquega, Peru - April 16th 1930), Journalist, Philosopher and Peruvian activist.

Prolific writer until his early death at the 35 years age, it is regarded as one of the socialist Latin-American most influential of the 20th century. Its most known work, Seven tests of interpretation of Peruvian reality , written in 1928, remains a book headlight in South America. He worked all his life in favor of the development of a Peruvian socialism, which is not the simple transposition in Peru of a European model.

Biography

Jose Carlos Mariátegui was born with Moquega in 1894. His/her father left the family hearth whereas he was still child. His/her mother, María Amalia Chira Ballejos, left Moquega for Lima initially, then went to Huacho where it had of the family likely to help it to maintain her three children: Jose Carlos, his brother Julio César and his Guillermina sister. In 1902, Jose Carlos is hospitalized in Lima for an important wound with the left, consecutive leg with a fall. The after-effects will be important, and in spite of four years of convalescence, the wounded leg will remain fragile and it will be in the incapacity to continue its studies. The consequences of this wound will have long-term effects on its already fragile health.

At the 14 years age, it starts to work like dispach rider for the newspaper the Prensa , where he becomes chronicler thereafter. In 1916, it leaves its first employer for the daily newspaper El Tiempo , whose political tendencies are more gauchists. Two years later, it launches its own magazine, but the owners of El Tiempo refuse to print it. It then creates independently its own newspaper, Razón . It supports there with virulence the fight of the students against the university reform, and the claims of the young movement of the workers. Its aggressive radicalism puts the newspaper cantilever with the government of Leguía, and it is told that Jose Carlos Mariátegui saw himself giving the choice to leave for the Europe, or of going in prison.

Rumor founded or not, Mariátegui went indeed to Europe in 1920, and travelled during two years through the France (where it comes into contact with Henri Barbusse and Clarté groups it), the Germany, the Austria and the Italy, where it married Anna Chiappe, with which it was to have many children. It was in Italy in 1920 during the occupation of the factories of Turin, and in January 1921 it was present at the Congress of Leghorn of the Italian Socialist party, where occurred the historical scission which led to the formation of the Parti Pommuniste. When it left the country, in 1922, Mussolini was with the conquest of the capacity.

In the writings of this period, Mariátegui notes that the Fascisme is an answer to a major social crisis, and that it is based on the middle-class and an important worship of violence. According to its analysis, Fascism is the price which pay a company in crisis for the failures of the left.

Of return to Peru in 1923, it starts to write articles on the situation in Europe and to study that of Peru under the angle of the Marxisme. It also comes into contact with Víctor Raúl Haya of Torre, leader of the American revolutionary popular Alliance. In October 1923, Haya of Torre must be exiled with Mexico City, leaving Mariátegui to the head of the magazine Claridad . The fifth number of this publication will be dedicated to Lénine in March 1924.

In 1924, Mariátegui must undergo an amputation of its wounded leg. In 1926, it founds the newspaper Amauta to offer a forum of expression to socialism, the art and the culture of Peru and all the Latin America.

In 1928 it starts to establish the Socialist party, who will be finally made up in October and of which he will be the general secretary (this party will become later the Communist party of Peru). It also publishes the Seven tests of interpretation of Peruvian reality , where it examines the economic situation and social of Peru from a Marxist point of view. This work is regarded as the first document of analysis of the Latin-American company. Starting with the economic history of the country, the book continues with a presentation of the " problem indien" , that Mariátegui connects to the " problem agraire". The other chapters are dedicated to education, the religion, the regionalism and centralization, as well as the literature.

In the same work, Mariátegui reproaches to the landowners the economic situation country and the miserable living conditions of the natives of the area. It notes that Peru still has many characteristics of the feudal companies . It defends the idea that the transition towards socialism could take place on the forms of a traditional collectivism as the Indians practiced it.

In 1929, Mariátegui takes part in the constitution of the General confederation of the Peruvian Workers (CGTP).

He dies the April 16th 1930, of the complications of health related to his wound of youth.

Anecdote

Jose Carlos Mariátegui was downward of Francisco Javier Mariátegui Tellería, one of the signatories of the declaration of independence of Peru in 1821.

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