Josep Lluís i Facerias
Encyclopedia
Josep Lluís Facerias was born in Barcelona
, Spain
, on January 6, 1920. He was nicknamed 'Face'. When the military revolt took place in July 1936, Facerias was already affiliated to the National Confederation of Labour
(CNT) and to the Libertarian Youth
. He fought on the Aragon
front throughout the war in the Ascaso column (28th Division) and in other units. In the last battles in Catalonia
he was taken prisoner and Facerias was in various concentration camps and work gangs. When he was released at the end of 1945 he joined, in Barcelona, the industrial network of the Graphic Arts of the clandestine CNT (an underground union) although in fact he was working as a waiter.
In April 1946, Facerias was nominated for the post of Defence Secretary of the Regional Committee of Catalonia and the Balearics of the Federation of Libertarian Youth of Iberia (FIJL).
On August 17, 1946, Facerias was arrested with almost all of the members of the Regional Committee along with other CNT activists: a total of 39 comrades ended up in jail. He came out of prison in July 1947.
Meanwhile the Libertarian Resistance Movement (MLR) had been created which was intended to be the armed wing of Spanish anarcho-syndicalism
. Facerias joined this organisation, but it had only an ephemeral life and was dissolved in February 1948. "Face" continued the armed struggle against Francoism until his death. On Friday August 30, 1957 at 10:45 AM, "Face" had a rendezvous in the Saint Andreu district, but those he was to meet had been arrested by the authorities, and the police were waiting for him. Facerias was shot several times, threw himself over a barrier into a trench, falling twelve feet. He then produced a hand-grenade from his pocket, but was fatally shot before it was primed, and died, aged 37.
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, on January 6, 1920. He was nicknamed 'Face'. When the military revolt took place in July 1936, Facerias was already affiliated to the National Confederation of Labour
Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
The Confederación Nacional del Trabajo is a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist labor unions affiliated with the International Workers Association . When working with the latter group it is also known as CNT-AIT...
(CNT) and to the Libertarian Youth
Federación Ibérica de Juventudes Libertarias
The Iberian Federation of Libertarian Youth , sometimes abbreviated as Libertarian Youth , was a libertarian socialist organisation created in 1932 in Madrid. In February 1937 the FIJL organised a plenum of regional organisations...
. He fought on the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
front throughout the war in the Ascaso column (28th Division) and in other units. In the last battles in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
he was taken prisoner and Facerias was in various concentration camps and work gangs. When he was released at the end of 1945 he joined, in Barcelona, the industrial network of the Graphic Arts of the clandestine CNT (an underground union) although in fact he was working as a waiter.
In April 1946, Facerias was nominated for the post of Defence Secretary of the Regional Committee of Catalonia and the Balearics of the Federation of Libertarian Youth of Iberia (FIJL).
On August 17, 1946, Facerias was arrested with almost all of the members of the Regional Committee along with other CNT activists: a total of 39 comrades ended up in jail. He came out of prison in July 1947.
Meanwhile the Libertarian Resistance Movement (MLR) had been created which was intended to be the armed wing of Spanish anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism
Anarcho-syndicalism is a branch of anarchism which focuses on the labour movement. The word syndicalism comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union , from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word σύνδικος which means caretaker of an issue...
. Facerias joined this organisation, but it had only an ephemeral life and was dissolved in February 1948. "Face" continued the armed struggle against Francoism until his death. On Friday August 30, 1957 at 10:45 AM, "Face" had a rendezvous in the Saint Andreu district, but those he was to meet had been arrested by the authorities, and the police were waiting for him. Facerias was shot several times, threw himself over a barrier into a trench, falling twelve feet. He then produced a hand-grenade from his pocket, but was fatally shot before it was primed, and died, aged 37.
Sources
- Téllez, AntonioAntonio TéllezAntonio Téllez Solá was a Spanish anarchist, journalist and historian.He fought on the Republican side against Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War. At the war's end in 1939, he went into exile in France...
, The Anarchist Resistance to Franco published by the Kate Sharpley LibraryKate Sharpley LibraryThe Kate Sharpley Library is a library dedicated to anarchist texts and history. Started in 1979 and reorganized in 1991, it currently holds around ten thousand English language volumes, pamphlets and periodicals...
. - Tellez, Antonio. Sabate: Guerilla Extraordinary, Oakland:AK Press, 1998, ISBN 1902593103.