Ernesto Araneda Briones

Ernesto Araneda Briones
Member of the Senate
In office
15 May 1973 – 11 September 1973
Constituency8th Departamental Group
Councilman of San Joaquín
In office
1992–1996
Councilman of Pedro Aguirre Cerda
In office
2004–2008
Regidor of San Miguel
In office
1963–1967
Personal details
Born(1928-11-07)November 7, 1928
Pailahueque, Chile
DiedSeptember 12, 2013(2013-09-12) (aged 84)
PartyCommunist Party of Chile
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionTrade unionist

Ernesto Segundo Araneda Briones (7 November 1928 – 12 September 2013) was a Chilean trade unionist and politician, member of the Communist Party of Chile.

Biography

He was born in Pailahueque, Araucanía Region, on 7 November 1928, the son of Blanca Ester Briones Mardones and politician Ernesto Araneda Rocha, who had been a deputy for the Democratic and Liberal parties.[1] He studied in Santiago: primary education at Escuela N°46 República de Colombia and at a school linked to Sagrados Corazones de Alameda, and secondary education at the Liceo Miguel Luis Amunátegui.[1]

He worked as a construction worker and became active in union and political work. In 1950 he joined the Communist Party, directed the newspaper La Voz de la Construcción in 1954, and in 1955 was elected general secretary of the Central Única de Trabajadores de Chile (CUT) in Santiago Province.[2] He also served as general secretary of the National Industrial Construction Federation (FINC) and president of the Enfierradores Union of Santiago.

In 1956 he became a regional director (Biobío and Malleco) of INDAP, and later head of propaganda of the Communist Party.

His first elected position was as regidor of San Miguel (1963–1967), also serving as acting mayor (1968–1970).[1]

Parliamentary career and coup

In the March 1973 elections he was elected senator for Biobío, Malleco and Cautín. He served in the permanent commissions of Foreign Relations and Labor until the military coup of 11 September 1973, after which Congress was dissolved by decree.[1]

Detention and exile

On 28 September 1973 he was detained by the Air Force intelligence and taken to the War Academy, where he was tortured.[3] He was subsequently imprisoned in the National Stadium, the Tacna Artillery Regiment, the Estadio Chile, the Chacabuco concentration camp, and camps in Puchuncaví, Tres Álamos and Ritoque.[1][3]

In August 1975 he went into exile under UNHCR protection, first in Belgium, later in France, Cuba and Costa Rica. He held international positions in the World Federation of Trade Unions, based in Prague (1984–1988). He was stripped of his Chilean nationality by decree in 1977.

Return to democracy

He returned to Chile in 1988 during the democratic transition. In the 1989 election he ran unsuccessfully for deputy. He was elected councillor of San Joaquín (1992–1996) and later of Pedro Aguirre Cerda (2004–2008).[2]

He died in Santiago on 12 September 2013 at the age of 84.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Biographical Review: Ernesto Segundo Araneda Briones Archived 2016-04-01 at the Wayback Machine, Library of the National Congress of Chile, s/f; accessed 19 December 2016
  2. ^ a b "Communists bid farewell to former worker senator Ernesto Araneda Briones" Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine, La Nación, 13 September 2013; accessed 19 December 2016
  3. ^ a b "Communist Party announces death of historic militant Ernesto Araneda", Radio Universidad de Chile, 13 September 2013; accessed 19 December 2016
  4. ^ "Condolences on the passing of Ernesto Araneda". CUT Chile. 13 September 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2013.