Background
Luis Emilio Recabarren was born on 6 July 1876 in Vlparaiso.
Luis Emilio Recabarren was born on 6 July 1876 in Vlparaiso.
Began his political career in the Democratic party in 1894 in Valparaiso. In 1903 he moved to the northern nitrate area, where he published several left-wing labor newspapers and helped organize trade unions in the nitrate fields and ports. In 1906 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, but the Chamber refused to seat him.
As major leader of the Democatic party left wing, Recabarren led a split in 1912, which established the Socialist Labor Party. The new party gained extensive influence in organized labor in the nitrate region and Santiago-Val paraíso area. In 1919 Recabarren presided over a congress of the Federación Obrera de Chile, and two years later he led its next Congress’ decision to join the Red International of Labor Unions. A few weeks later, the Socialist Labor Party became the Communist party.
Meanwhile, in 1920 Recabarren was his party’s unsuccessful candidate for president, and in 1922-1923 he visited the Soviet Union. Recabarren committed suicide in December 1924.