«Hemos sido férreos combatientes de la subversión». Historia oral de un sindicalista de la derecha peronista durante los años 70

Abstract

Lately, historical studies on right-wing Peronism acquired increasing centrality in the research agenda on Argentina’s recent History. The world of labour and the working class have been privileged environments for the formation of right-wing Peronist representatives and organizations. However, studies on industrial conflict in the 1970s never thoroughly addressed the history of right-wing Peronist unions. This paper proposes an approach to the memories and lived experiences of a worker and trade unionist of the Unión Obrera Metalúrgica based on the use of oral sources. It reconstructs his biography as a trade unionist and a “patotero” whose daily life was marked by violent and repressive practices. It analyses his vision of work relations, his justification for the brutal and terrorist repressive action led against left-wing workers/militants, as well as the idea of the trade union as a bulwark of anticommunism in the factory. The biography of this “patotero” represents an emblematic case, since it shows the formation and development trajectory of a worker who transited through extreme right-wing Peronist organizations such as the Movimiento Nacionalista Tacuara, the Peronist Armed Forces, and ended up joining a trade union “patota” during the 1970s.

Keywords

• memory
• trade unions
• Right-wing Peronism
• Unión Obrera Metalúrgica
• paramilitary repression