General Secretary of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo
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The General Secretary or Secretary General of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo is the head of the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (National Confederation of Labour; CNT), a Spanish confederation of anarcho-syndicalist trade unions. The position is elected by a congress or plenary session of the confederation. The position's powers are limited to technical and administrative affairs.
Since the confederation does not have fixed headquarters, the elected General Secretary's local federation becomes the confederation's central operations and a local plenary session of the local federation chooses the secretariats for other leadership positions. Together they are known as the Secretariado Permanente del Comité Confederal (Permanent Secretariat of the Confederal Committee, or SPCC). They, together with other regional federation's secretaries general, form the full Confederal Committee. The first general secretary of the CNT, chosen at its 1910 constitutional congress, was José Negre. He had been general secretary of Solidaridad Obrera, a Catalan union and precursor to the CNT. Thus Barcelona was the first headquarters.
The CNT operated clandestinely during years of repression and splintered. Sources support several timelines of CNT Secretaries General during this time.
Through the Civil War (1910–1939)
Unless specified otherwise, the Headquarters of the CNT's General General and National Committee during this period were based in Barcelona.
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josep Negre (1875–1939) | November 1910 | September 1911 | ||
| September 1911 | 1914 | During this period, the CNT was banned by the government and organised clandestinely. Duties as general secretary alternated between Josep Negre, Francisco Jordán and Francisco Miranda. | |||
| 2 | Manuel Andreu (1889–1968) | November 1915 | August 1916 | Legal restrictions against the CNT were lifted and it resumed public activity in 1915. | |
| 3 | Francisco Jordán (1886–1921) | August 1916 | February 1917 ‡ | ||
| 4 | Francisco Miranda (1869–1950) | March 1917 | August 1917 ‡ | ||
| – | Manuel Buenacasa (1886–1964) | August 1917 | November 1917 | Interim General Secretary, while Francisco Miranda was imprisoned. | |
| (4) | Francisco Miranda (1869–1950) | December 1917 | July 1918 | ||
| 5 | Manuel Buenacasa (1886–1964) | August 1918 | December 1918 | ||
| 6 | Evelio Boal (1884–1921) | January 1919 | December 1919 | As Provisional General Secretary. | |
| December 1919 | March 1921 ‡ | Murdered on 12 June 1921. | |||
| 7 | Andreu Nin (1892–1937) | March 1921 | May 1921 | ||
| 8 | Joaquim Maurín (1896–1950) | August 1921 | February 1922 ‡ | ||
| 9 | Joan Peiró (1887–1942) | May 1922 | June 1922 | ||
| 10 | Salvador Seguí (1887–1923) | 11 June 1922 | 10 March 1923 † | Assassinated by pistoleros. | |
| 11 | Manuel Adame (1901–1945) | July 1923 | 16 August 1923 ‡ | ||
| 12 | Paulino Díez (1892–1980) | August 1923 | 25 December 1923 ‡ | Headquartered in Seville. | |
| 13 | José Gracia Galán | April 1924 | 2 June 1924 ‡ | Headquartered in Zaragoza. | |
| – | Unknown | June 1924 | September 1925 | During this period, the CNT was outlawed by the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and carried out its activities clandestinely. The identity of the general secretary at this time is unknown. | |
| 14 | Avelino González (1894–1938) | September 1925 | June 1926 | Headquartered in Gijón. | |
| 15 | Segundo Blanco (1899–1957) | July 1926 | November 1926 | Headquartered in Gijón. | |
| 16 (9) | Joan Peiró (1887–1942) | January 1927 | May 1929 | ||
| 17 | Ángel Pestaña (1886–1937) | June 1929 | June 1930 | ||
| 18 | Progreso Alfarache (1888–1964) | 27 June 1930 | 27 September 1930 ‡ | ||
| 19 | Francesc Arín | October 1930 | December 1930 | Serving as Interim General Secretary. | |
| December 1930 | December 1931 | The Second Spanish Republic was established during this period. | |||
| 20 (17) | Ángel Pestaña (1886–1937) | December 1931 | March 1932 | ||
| 21 | Manuel Rivas | March 1932 | January 1933 ‡ | Imprisoned following the anarchist insurrection of January 1933. | |
| 22 | Miguel Yoldi (1903–1961) | December 1933 | February 1935 | Headquartered in Zaragoza. | |
| 23 | Horacio Prieto (1902–1985) | March 1935 | May 1936 | Headquartered in Zaragoza. Provisionally replaced at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. | |
| – | David Antona[es] (1904–1945) | 18 July 1936 | September 1936 | Provisional General Secretary during the early months of the Spanish Civil War. | |
| (23) | Horacio Prieto (1902–1985) | September 1936 | 18 November 1936 | Re-election confirmed by national plenum on 4 August 1936. | |
| 24 | Mariano Vázquez (1909–1939) | 18 November 1936 | February 1939 | Headquarters transferred from Barcelona, to Madrid and then Valencia. Term ended by the conclusion of the Catalonia Offensive. Died in Paris in June 1939. |
During Franco (1939–1976)
During this period, the CNT worked clandestinely both inside Spain and in French exile. A schism among the exiles created two confederal committees with their own corresponding secretaries general.
In Spain
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| Esteve Pallarols | April 1939 | November 1939 |
| Manuel López López[ca] | January 1940 | July 1940 |
| Celedonio Pérez Bernardo[ca] | July 1940 | February 1941 |
| Eusebio Azañedo Grande[ca] | December 1942 | August 1943 |
| Manuel Amil Barciá[ca] | September 1943 | September 1944 |
| Siegfried Catalá Tineo[ca] | September 1944 | March 1945 |
| Ramón Rufat Llop | April 1945 | July 1945 |
| José Expósito Leiva[es] | July 1945 | October 1945 |
| Ángel Morales Vázquez[ca] | November 1945 | March 1946 |
| Lorenzo Íñigo Granizo | March 1946 | April 1946 |
| Enrique Marco Nadal[es] | May 1946 | April 1947 |
| Antonio Ejarque Pina | May 1947 | August 1947 |
| Manuel Villar Mingo[es] | August 1947 | November 1947 |
| Antonio Castaño Benavent[ca] | April 1948 | July 1949 |
| Miguel Vallejo Sebastián[ca] | July 1949 | June 1951 |
| Cipriano Damiano | June 1951 | June 1953 |
| Ismael Rodríguez Ajax | October 1960 | October 1961 |
| Francisco Calle Mancilla[ca] | April 1962 | February 1964 |
| Cipriano Damiano | April 1964 | April 1965 |
| Francisco Royano Fernández[ca] | May 1965 | September 1968 |
In exile
| Name | Election date | Agency | Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariano Rodríguez Vázquez 1 | 25 February 1939 | General Council of the MLE | Paris |
| José Germán González[ca] | June 1943 | National Plenary (confederal) | Mauriac |
| Juan Manuel Molina Mateo | September 1943 | National Plenary (confederal) | Tourniac |
| Francisco Careño | March 1944 | National Plenary (confederal) | Muret |
| Juan Manuel Molina Mateo | October 1944 | National Plenary (confederal) | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | May 1945 | Paris Congress | Paris |
1. After his death, Germinal Esgleas Jaume took over.
Orthodox faction
| Name | Election date | Agency | Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | - | - | - |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1946 | Toulouse | |
| Josep Peirats | October 1947 | Congress of Local Federations | Toulouse |
| Pedro Herrera Camarero | April 1947 | I Intercontinental Conference | - |
| Emilio Julio González | October 1948 1 | Congress of Local Federations | - |
| Luis Blanco | February 1949 | II Intercontinental Conference | Toulouse |
| Josep Peirats | May 1950 | I National Plenary (confederal) | Toulouse |
| Martín Villarupia | April 1951 | II Intercontinental Plenary | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | July 1952 | III Intercontinental Plenary | Aymare |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | July 1953 | IV Intercontinental Plenary Session | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1954 | 5th Intercontinental Plenary | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1955 | VI Intercontinental Plenary Session | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | July 1956 | VII Intercontinental Plenary Session | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1957 | VIII Intercontinental Plenary Session | Toulouse |
| Roque Santamaría Cortiguera[ca] | August 1958 | IX Intercontinental Plenary | Toulouse |
| Roque Santamaría Cortiguera[ca] | September 1959 | X Intercontinental Plenary | Vierzon |
| Roque Santamaría Cortiguera[ca] | August 1960 | Congress of Local Federations | Limoges |
1.He resigned in December 1948.
Possibilist faction
| Name | Election date | Agency | Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramón Álvarez Palomo | November 1945 | Plenary of Regionals of Origin | Toulouse |
| Ramón Álvarez Palomo | August 1946 | Plenary | Toulouse |
| José Juan Domenech | December 1947 | I National Plenary (confederal) of Regionals | Toulouse |
| José Juan Domenech | May 1948 | Plenary | - |
| José Juan Domenech | February 1949 | II National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Helios Sánchez[ca] | June 1950 | III National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Miguel Vallejo Sebastián[ca] | June 1952 | IV National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Miguel Vallejo Sebastián[ca] | March 1954 | V National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Ramón Liarte[es] | November 1955 | VI National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Ginés Alonso[ca] | August 1957 | VII National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Ginés Alonso[ca] | October 1958 | VIII National Plenary (confederal) | - |
| Ginés Alonso[ca] | March 1960 | IX National Plenary (confederal) | Clermont Ferrand |
Reunification of exiled factions
The reunification of the CNT was ratified by a congress in Caracas, Venezuela, on 18 December 1960.
| Name | Election date | Agency | Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roque Santamaría Cortiguera[ca] | August 1961 | Congress of Local Federations | Limoges |
| Roque Santamaría Cortiguera[ca] | August 1962 | Intercontinental Plenary | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | October 1963 | Congress of Local Federations | Toulouse |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1965 | Congress of Local Federations | Montpellier |
| Ferran Alemany[ca] | August 1967 | Intercontinental Plenary | Marseille |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1969 | Intercontinental Plenary | Bordeaux |
| Germinal Esgleas Jaume | August 1971 | Intercontinental Plenary Session | Marseille |
| Marciano Sigüenza[ca] 1 | August 1973 | Intercontinental Plenary Session | Marseille |
| Alejandro Lamela[ca] | August 1975 | Congress of Local Federations | Marseille |
1. He resigned in January 1975.
Since the transition to democracy (1976–present)
| Name | Took office | Left office | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Gómez Casas[es] | August 1976 | April 1978 | Madrid |
| Enric Marco | April 1978 | December 1979 | Barcelona |
| José Bondía | December 1979 | January 1983 | Madrid |
| Antonio Pérez Canales | January 1983 | - | - |
| Fernando Montero | July 1983 | - | - |
| Juan Gómez Casas[es] | 1985 | - | - |
| José Luis García Rúa[es] | March of 1986 | 1990 | Granada |
| Vicente Vilanova | 1990 | - | Valencia |
| José Ros | November 1992 | - | Barcelona |
| Luis Fernando Barba[es] | May 1995 | December 1995 | Granada |
| José Luis Velasco Sanz[es] | December 1995 | February 1998 | Madrid |
| Luis Fuentes | December 1998 | October 2000 | Bilbao |
| Ana Sigüenza | October 2000 | March 2003 | Madrid |
| Iñaki Gil[es] | April 2003 | July 2005 | Vitoria-Gasteiz |
| Rafael Corrales Valverde | July 2005 | August 2007 | Seville |
| Fidel Manrique | August 2007 | December 2010 | Torrelavega |
| Alfonso Álvarez | December 2010 | April 2013 | Córdoba |
| Pedro Serna | April 2013 | April 2015 | Valladolid |
| Martín Paradelo[gl] | April 2015 | July 2017 | Santiago de Compostela |
| Enrique Hoz | July 2017 | 2019 | Bilbao |
| Miguel García Romero | 2019 | November 2021 | Lebrija |
| Isabel Arenales | November 2021 | December 2021 | Valladolid |
| Antonio Díaz García[es] | December 2021 | January 2024 | Madrid |
| Erika Conrado | January 2024 | present | Granollers |