Carlos Petroni
Encyclopedia
Carlos Petroni is an Argentinian
author and political activist.
, Argentina, Carlos Petroni was a leader of the Morenoist tendency of Latin American Trotskyism
from 1973 to 1988 and was a close collaborator of the founder of this movement, Nahuel Moreno
. Petroni has contributed to, edited or published more than 30 political newspapers, magazines and websites around the world and is the author of half a dozen books on politics, Marxist theory and political organizing. He is also known at times by some of his pen names: Leon Perez, Nicholas Kramer, and Simon Morales.
Petroni was a founder of and/or leading participant in numerous Trotskyist groups in Latin America
, Europe
and the United States
, he has extensive organizing skills and experience in working class struggles. Petroni was a member and leader of the Argentine Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores (PST) from 1973 to 1976, and during the beginning of the military dictatorship was part of its underground continuation. As an elected leader of unions representing printers, metal workers, meatpackers, social workers and others, he led strikes, organized unions and support, ran for public office and was involved in various working class struggles for almost four decades.
As a result of his trade union and political work in Argentina, he was the target of three assassination attempts during 1974 and 1975 by death squads organized by the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance (Triple A). The Triple A operated under the protection and support of Peronist governments from 1973-1976. Many members of the Triple A collaborated with the military dictatorship after 1976.
Petroni went into exile in 1978. From 1978 to 1985 he was responsible for the North, Caribbean and Central American Secretariat of the Morenoist tendency.
He participated in the Nicaraguan and Salvadoran Revolutions in the late 70s, helped found the Nicaraguan section of the IWL, helped develop other Central American organizations and the Mexican section of the Morenoists. He was a delegate and member of the Presidium of the Morenoist international tendency in its different stages: Bolshevik Tendency of the Fourth International (1976–1980), International Committee of the Fourth International
(1981) and International Workers League (Fourth International) -- Liga Internacional de los Trabajadores (Cuarta Internacional or LIT(CI)) from 1981 to 1988. After the collapse of the military dictatorship he travelled extensively around the Americas and Europe then became a leader of the Movement for Socialism (Argentina)
, from 1985-1988.
Prior to that he (as well as Nahuel Moreno) worked as a member of the International Committee of the LIT(CI) and its International Secretariat from 1982 until the death of Moreno in 1986. He was also a founding member of its US section, eventually called the Internationalist Workers Party (IWP)
. He was expelled from the LIT(CI) in 1988, as was the IWP, after Nahuel Moreno's death, and Petroni then continued his political work in the USA. In the late 1990s he became a member of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI) and its affiliate in the USA, Socialist Alternative (US)
, and after leaving the CWI in 2002, he helped found a group called the Left Party in the USA.
Petroni was very active in the San Francisco elections. For example, he ran for City Treasurer, obtaining 14% of the citywide vote. In 2000, he wrote and managed Proposition F, considered a historical reparation Act for African American City residents, which obtained more than 45% of the vote. He ran for different offices from the mid 1990s until he returned to Argentina
after the 2004 election. He also supported, organized and managed other campaigns and significant local ballot initiatives.
As of 2006, he is back in his native Argentina where he is editing the online and print versions of Izquierda.info. Petroni has also emerged as an official witness in the trial for "crimes against humanity" attributed to members of the Triple A. Petroni has introduced into the federal court proceedings motions asking Judge Oyarbide to order the arrest of more than a dozen members, mostly union officials from Mar de Plata, Argentina, of the right wing terrorist organization CNU (which became part of the Triple A) and to question in court the knowledge of their crimes by their associate and present day General Secretary of the CGT
, Hugo Moyano, who is now also vice president of the Peronist Justicialist Party.
Petroni currently resides with his son in Buenos Aires.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
author and political activist.
Overview
Born, August 8, 1947 in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina, Carlos Petroni was a leader of the Morenoist tendency of Latin American Trotskyism
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
from 1973 to 1988 and was a close collaborator of the founder of this movement, Nahuel Moreno
Nahuel Moreno
Nahuel Moreno was a Trotskyist leader from Argentina. Moreno was active in the Trotskyist movement from before World War II until his death....
. Petroni has contributed to, edited or published more than 30 political newspapers, magazines and websites around the world and is the author of half a dozen books on politics, Marxist theory and political organizing. He is also known at times by some of his pen names: Leon Perez, Nicholas Kramer, and Simon Morales.
Petroni was a founder of and/or leading participant in numerous Trotskyist groups in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he has extensive organizing skills and experience in working class struggles. Petroni was a member and leader of the Argentine Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores (PST) from 1973 to 1976, and during the beginning of the military dictatorship was part of its underground continuation. As an elected leader of unions representing printers, metal workers, meatpackers, social workers and others, he led strikes, organized unions and support, ran for public office and was involved in various working class struggles for almost four decades.
As a result of his trade union and political work in Argentina, he was the target of three assassination attempts during 1974 and 1975 by death squads organized by the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance (Triple A). The Triple A operated under the protection and support of Peronist governments from 1973-1976. Many members of the Triple A collaborated with the military dictatorship after 1976.
Petroni went into exile in 1978. From 1978 to 1985 he was responsible for the North, Caribbean and Central American Secretariat of the Morenoist tendency.
He participated in the Nicaraguan and Salvadoran Revolutions in the late 70s, helped found the Nicaraguan section of the IWL, helped develop other Central American organizations and the Mexican section of the Morenoists. He was a delegate and member of the Presidium of the Morenoist international tendency in its different stages: Bolshevik Tendency of the Fourth International (1976–1980), International Committee of the Fourth International
International Committee of the Fourth International
The International Committee of the Fourth International is the name of two Trotskyist internationals; one with sections named Socialist Equality Party which publishes the World Socialist Web Site and another linked to the Workers Revolutionary Party in Britain.-Foundation:The International...
(1981) and International Workers League (Fourth International) -- Liga Internacional de los Trabajadores (Cuarta Internacional or LIT(CI)) from 1981 to 1988. After the collapse of the military dictatorship he travelled extensively around the Americas and Europe then became a leader of the Movement for Socialism (Argentina)
Movement for Socialism (Argentina)
The Movement for Socialism is a Trotskyist political party in Argentina. It was founded in 1982 and led by Nahuel Moreno until his death, in 1987. From 1988 on, within the next 4 years, the MAS would split into more than 20 groups...
, from 1985-1988.
Prior to that he (as well as Nahuel Moreno) worked as a member of the International Committee of the LIT(CI) and its International Secretariat from 1982 until the death of Moreno in 1986. He was also a founding member of its US section, eventually called the Internationalist Workers Party (IWP)
Internationalist Workers Party (Fourth International)
The Internationalist Workers Party was a Trotskyist group in the United States. It was the American affiliate of the Morenoist International Workers League...
. He was expelled from the LIT(CI) in 1988, as was the IWP, after Nahuel Moreno's death, and Petroni then continued his political work in the USA. In the late 1990s he became a member of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI) and its affiliate in the USA, Socialist Alternative (US)
Socialist Alternative (US)
Socialist Alternative is a Trotskyist organization in the United States. It is the US section of Committee for a Workers' International .-Publications:Socialist Alternative publishes a bimonthly newspaper called Justice....
, and after leaving the CWI in 2002, he helped found a group called the Left Party in the USA.
Petroni was very active in the San Francisco elections. For example, he ran for City Treasurer, obtaining 14% of the citywide vote. In 2000, he wrote and managed Proposition F, considered a historical reparation Act for African American City residents, which obtained more than 45% of the vote. He ran for different offices from the mid 1990s until he returned to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
after the 2004 election. He also supported, organized and managed other campaigns and significant local ballot initiatives.
As of 2006, he is back in his native Argentina where he is editing the online and print versions of Izquierda.info. Petroni has also emerged as an official witness in the trial for "crimes against humanity" attributed to members of the Triple A. Petroni has introduced into the federal court proceedings motions asking Judge Oyarbide to order the arrest of more than a dozen members, mostly union officials from Mar de Plata, Argentina, of the right wing terrorist organization CNU (which became part of the Triple A) and to question in court the knowledge of their crimes by their associate and present day General Secretary of the CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
, Hugo Moyano, who is now also vice president of the Peronist Justicialist Party.
Petroni currently resides with his son in Buenos Aires.
External links
- Izquierda.info
- * Proposition F, Bayview Hunters Point Reparations Act of 2000, written by Carlos Petroni. Article in the SF Chronicle
- Socialist hopeful in treasurer's race / Petroni challenges Leal
- Bayview Tax Breaks Proposal Turned In / Backers file petitions with 16,000 signatures
- Mi encuentro con Rodolfo Almirón, jefe operativo de la Triple A y su confesión
- La Organizacion Mundial contra la Tortura (OMCT) y la Federacion Internacional de Derechos Humanos hacen saber su preocupacion al gobierno Argentino por Amenazas contra Testigos en casos de Terrorismo de Estado, incluido Carlos Petroni