Milagro Sala
Encyclopedia
Milagro Sala is a leader of the Tupac Amaru neighborhood association, part of the Association of State Workers (ATE) of Jujuy, and a leading figure in the Movimiento piquetero
of Argentina.
. At 15 years old she discovered that was adopted and that her biological mother had abandoned her in a cardboard box in front of a hospital. She left the house where she was raised. She lived for years among hustlers, drug dealers, thieves and prostitutes. She was a shoe shiner, robbed with her friends, and abused narcotics; at age 18 she was caught and jailed. There, she organized a hunger strike
that resulted in her being allowed to cook for her fellow female prisoners, with better food at equal cost. She spent eight months in prison, and counseled other Lower Azopardo prostitutes toward changing their situation and leaving that environment.
Sala subsequently joined the Argentine Workers' Center
(CTA). She gained nationwide notoriety for the power she obtained in the Province of Jujuy through the Asociacion barrial Tupac Amaru (Tupac Amaru neighborhood association). This NGO manages a 200 million peso
(us$50 million) budget, at least 40 vehicles, and over 300 firearms registered in RENAR. Its influence led to conflict with conservative political figures in Jujuy, however, and following a series of exchanged accusations, she participated in the partial looting and burning of the Jujuy Government Hall in October 2007. She’s also had charges filed for death threats and destruction of property by Senator Gerardo Morales
. She denied involvement in a 2009 incident in which two youths attacked Morales, asserting that the accusations are politically motivated and without proof.
She is the mother of two children, and the adoptive mother of twelve.
construction subsidies from the National Government. It includes 70,000 affiliates, whose membership is requisite in keeping their children in school, where applicable. Members form housing cooperative
s through which government subsidies are channeled, and which completed 3,000 housing units by the end of 2009. The organization also manages six factories employing 5,000 workers in the construction material, tool and die, and textile
industries. It maintains two schools and a clinic equipped with a MRI scanner.
The political ideology of the Tupac Amaru organization is represented by the historical figures of Tupac Amaru
, Che Guevara
and Eva Perón
. They consider themselves indigienista
, proclaiming the government of Bolivia
n President Evo Morales
as a political model.
Sala attributes many of the accusations against the group and herself to racism
, affirming that "we will be investigated, while there was corruption among companies. I am dark skinned, and a Kolla
, but I´m not stupid."
Tupac Amaru established branches elsewhere in Argentina, including Salta
, Tucumán
, Santiago del Estero
, Buenos Aires
(the Villa 31
), and Mendoza
; these new chapters total 16 organizations.
Piquetero
A piquetero is a member of a political faction whose primary modus operandi is based in the piquete. The piquete is an action by which a group of people blocks a road or street with the purpose of demonstrating and calling attention over a particular issue or demand...
of Argentina.
Early life
Sala was born in the Lower Azopardo neighborhood of San Salvador de JujuySan Salvador de Jujuy
San Salvador de Jujuy , commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. It lies near the southern end of the Humahuaca Canyon where wooded hills meet the lowlands....
. At 15 years old she discovered that was adopted and that her biological mother had abandoned her in a cardboard box in front of a hospital. She left the house where she was raised. She lived for years among hustlers, drug dealers, thieves and prostitutes. She was a shoe shiner, robbed with her friends, and abused narcotics; at age 18 she was caught and jailed. There, she organized a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
that resulted in her being allowed to cook for her fellow female prisoners, with better food at equal cost. She spent eight months in prison, and counseled other Lower Azopardo prostitutes toward changing their situation and leaving that environment.
Sala subsequently joined the Argentine Workers' Center
Argentine Workers' Center
The Argentine Workers' Central Union is a trade-union federation in Argentina. Its general secretary is Hugo Yasky. It was formed in 1991 when a number of trade unions disaffiliated from the General Confederation of Labor . Though the CTA is a multi-tendency organization, it is led by unionists...
(CTA). She gained nationwide notoriety for the power she obtained in the Province of Jujuy through the Asociacion barrial Tupac Amaru (Tupac Amaru neighborhood association). This NGO manages a 200 million peso
Argentine peso
The peso is the currency of Argentina, identified by the symbol $ preceding the amount in the same way as many countries using dollar currencies. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. Its ISO 4217 code is ARS...
(us$50 million) budget, at least 40 vehicles, and over 300 firearms registered in RENAR. Its influence led to conflict with conservative political figures in Jujuy, however, and following a series of exchanged accusations, she participated in the partial looting and burning of the Jujuy Government Hall in October 2007. She’s also had charges filed for death threats and destruction of property by Senator Gerardo Morales
Gerardo Morales
Gerardo Ariel Morales Santos, more commonly known as Karibito, born September 20, 1975 in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan football midfielder.-External links:*...
. She denied involvement in a 2009 incident in which two youths attacked Morales, asserting that the accusations are politically motivated and without proof.
She is the mother of two children, and the adoptive mother of twelve.
Asociacion barrial Tupac Amaru
Tupac Amaru receives 7.9 million pesos (us$1.9 million) per month for public housingPublic housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
construction subsidies from the National Government. It includes 70,000 affiliates, whose membership is requisite in keeping their children in school, where applicable. Members form housing cooperative
Housing cooperative
A housing cooperative is a legal entity—usually a corporation—that owns real estate, consisting of one or more residential buildings. Each shareholder in the legal entity is granted the right to occupy one housing unit, sometimes subject to an occupancy agreement, which is similar to a lease. ...
s through which government subsidies are channeled, and which completed 3,000 housing units by the end of 2009. The organization also manages six factories employing 5,000 workers in the construction material, tool and die, and textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
industries. It maintains two schools and a clinic equipped with a MRI scanner.
The political ideology of the Tupac Amaru organization is represented by the historical figures of Tupac Amaru
Túpac Amaru
Túpac Amaru, also called Thupa Amaro , was the last indigenous leader of the Inca state in Peru.-Accession:...
, Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
and Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
. They consider themselves indigienista
Indigenism
Indigenism, Native nationalism, or Indigenous nationalism is a kind of ethnic nationalism emphasizing the group's indigeneity to their homeland...
, proclaiming the government of Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n President Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
as a political model.
Sala attributes many of the accusations against the group and herself to racism
Racism in Argentina
In Argentina, as other countries with high levels of multiculturalism and immigration, there has been discrimination based on ethnic characteristics or national origin...
, affirming that "we will be investigated, while there was corruption among companies. I am dark skinned, and a Kolla
Kolla
Kolla is a mountain of Oppland, in southern Norway....
, but I´m not stupid."
Tupac Amaru established branches elsewhere in Argentina, including Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, Tucumán
Tucumán
San Miguel de Tucumán is the capital of the Tucumán Province, located in northern Argentina at from Buenos Aires. It is the fifth biggest city of Argentina after Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario and Mendoza, and it is also the most important city of Northern Argentina...
, Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
, Buenos Aires
Buenos 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...
(the Villa 31
Villa miseria
A villa miseria is a form of shanty town or slum found in Argentina, mostly around the largest urban settlements. The term is a compound noun made of the Spanish words villa "village, small town" and miseria "misery, dejection"...
), and Mendoza
Mendoza Province
The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is...
; these new chapters total 16 organizations.
External links
- Official page of Tupac Amaru
- http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/subnotas/134056-43247-2009-10-25.htmlHoracio VerbitskyHoracio VerbitskyHoracio Verbitsky is a prominent Argentine investigative journalist and author. He writes for the left-leaning Argentine newspaper Página/12 and heads up the Center for Legal and Social Studies , an Argentine human-rights organization.He is also a member of the Directive Board of Human Rights...
review of Milagro Sala]