83 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
83 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
The **Guayaquil General Strike of 1922** was a three-day long [general
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strike](List_of_General_Strikes "wikilink") in the city of Guayaquil,
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[Ecuador](Ecuador "wikilink") in
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[November](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism_in_South_America "wikilink")
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[1922](Revolutions_of_1916_-_1923 "wikilink"). The strike enjoyed a
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strong [anarcho-syndicalist](Anarcho-Syndicalism "wikilink") presence.
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## Background
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In the early 1920s, Ecuador suffered an economic crisis due to a drop in
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the global price of the cocoa bean, which at the time was the main
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export of the country. Guayaquil had experienced rapid economic growth
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in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century due to its location
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in the Guayas River basin—a region with near-ideal conditions for
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growing cocoa. At the beginning of the twentieth century, cocoa
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accounted for 75% of the country's total exports.
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Following [World War I](World_War_I "wikilink"), the price of the cocoa
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bean fell as countries such as [Ghana](Ghana "wikilink"), [São
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Tomé](Sao_Tome_and_Principe "wikilink"), and
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[Brazil](Brazil "wikilink") began growing the crop. As cocoa sales
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declined, a lack of foreign currency in Ecuador led to severe inflation.
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In 1914, the Ecuadorian government passed the "*Ley Moratoria*," which
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froze exchange rates and allowed banks to issue currency not backed by
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gold or silver. This worsened the country's inflation, which was most
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felt by the [working class](Working_Class "wikilink"). By 1922, the
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country had entered a state of public unrest.
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On the 19th of October, Guayaquil and Quito Railway Company workers
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began a strike. The workers - based in the town of Durán, across the
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river from Guayaquil–made relatively modest demands such as the payment
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of wages on time, the establishment of medical auxiliary posts, payment
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in United States dollars or gold rather than the sucre, fifteen days
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notice before lay-offs and the re-hiring of fired union organizers. The
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railroad company quickly negotiated an end to the strike, granting most
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of the workers' demands. The company planned to offset increased wages
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by raising fares on the trains, but rate hikes were cancelled by
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president José Luis Tamayo.
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## Events
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Workers in Guayaquil took note of the successes of the railway workers
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in Durán. Trolley, electric company and other public utility workers met
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in early November and came up with a list of demands including pay
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increases, an eight-hour workday, overtime pay, and compliance with
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safety regulations. When the demands were rejected, the workers struck.
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The strike gained momentum as factories in the city were unable to
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operate due to lack of electricity. As negotiations neared completion,
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the strikers made new demands, such as artificial exchange rate controls
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by the government in order to prop of the value of the sucre. By 13
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November, the strike had grown into a citywide general strike.
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### Massacre
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On the 15th of November, the government came to an agreement with union
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leaders on the exchange rate. That same day, a crowd of 20,000 people -
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the largest demonstration of the strike yet - assembled in downtown
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Guayaquil. Upon hearing that two labor leaders who had been jailed were
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to be released, the crowd marched to the [police](police "wikilink")
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station. When the demonstrators arrived at the police station, soldiers
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began firing into the crowd.
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The crowd began to flee, and were pursued by the troops. Many of the
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demonstrators were shot to death or stabbed by bayonets. Order was
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restored at around 6 pm. At least three hundred people had been killed,
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although the precise number is unknown. No soldiers or police were
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killed, although several were injured.
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## Results
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The general strike ended shortly after the massacre. The following day,
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president Tamayo signaled that he would sign the exchange rate
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moratorium that had been demanded by the strikers. Most workers returned
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to their jobs, but the trolley workers continued their strike. On the
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21st of November, the trolley worker strike was finally resolved, with
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the trolley workers receiving pay raises, shorter hours, and other
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demands. However, the trolley company would also increase fares.
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## References
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[Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") - [1922 Guayaquil general
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strike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922_Guayaquil_general_strike) |