Canarian nationalism is a political movement that encourages the national consciousness of the Canarian people. The term includes several ideological trends, ranging from a demand for further autonomy within Spain to the right to self-determination.
Canarian nationalism is a political movement that encourages the national consciousness of the Canarian people. The term includes several ideological trends, ranging from a demand for further autonomy within Spain to the right to self-determination.
The origins of the Canarian people started with the Spanish conquest of the islands, when the local Guanche Berber [ citation needed ] population [1] were conquered and eventually assimilated and European-style manorialism introduced in most of the islands. [2]
During the last days of the conquest, on 30 May 1481, an aboriginal leader from Gran Canaria called Tenesor Semidán (afterwards baptized as Fernando Guanarteme) signed a peace treaty with Fernando II of Aragon, in the so-called Carta de Calatayud. [3] This treaty defined the archipelago as a kingdom within the Spanish monarchy, establishing the legal framework for its administration and its relationship with Spain. [4]
The pact signed in Calatayud granted the rights and duties that would shape the Canarian fuero (Fuero de Canarias), which would soon be used in institutions such as the Cabildos and the Canarian Court (Audiencia de Canarias). Notable rights stated in the fuero included an autonomous treasury and army, and the continuity of traditional Canarian customs and roles. The Canary Islands had its own currency [ which? ] until 1776. [5]
Initially only Gran Canaria accepted the pact, but one by one the whole group of islands eventually consented to the agreement. [6]
Spain failed to fulfill the pact several times, a failure that resulted in the uprisings of 1502 (Ichasagua), 1770 (La Aldea), and 1778 (Arico). [7]
The pact was finally discarded during the Restoration. [8]
The first nationalist organizations were born in the 19th century as part of a local labour movement. Some of its proponents were José Cabrera Díaz, Nicolás Estévanez and Secundino Delgado. Delgado is considered today as the father of the Canarian nationalism.
The earliest nationalist parties were the Partido Popular (Autonomista), founded in 1901 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the Canarian Nationalist Party, founded in 1924 in exile in Cuba. [6]
During the Second Spanish Republic Canarian nationalism went unnoticed; although an autonomy statute was proposed, the Spanish Civil War blocked hopes for autonomy.
Francoism fiercely oppressed any kind of regional nationalism in Spain and its colonies. However, the 1960s were years known for the activism of various groups. In 1959 the movement Canarias Libre acquired some notoriety, and in 1964, Antonio Cubillo founded the MPAIAC (Movement for the Self-determination and Independence of the Canarian Archipelago). The MPAIAC created the flag of the seven green stars that is accepted by the nationalist movement as a whole today.
During the last days of Francoism the DAC (Destacamentos Armados Canarios) and the FAG (Fuerzas Armadas Guanches), movements attached to Canarian nationalism, committed terrorist acts. Although the movements had initially attracted sympathies, the violent terror actions and the "armed struggle" spearheaded by Cubillo's MPAIAC brought about a general rejection among local Canarios. [9]
One of the factors leading to the 1977 Tenerife airport disaster, the most deadly accident in aviation history, was a bomb exploded by Canarian separatists in Gran Canaria Airport.
Since 1982 the Canary Islands have had a statute of autonomy, which defines the archipelago as a nationality of Spain.
In the 1980s a nationalist-like party called UPC (Canarian People's Union) was the third-most-voted party in Canary Islands. In 1985 Antonio Cubillo returned from Algiers and founded the National Congress of the Canaries (CNC). [10]
Since 1993, the nationalist party Canarian Coalition has held the government of the islands. [11]
At present, many sorts of parties, trade unions and associations describe themselves as "nationalist," some of which support the Berberist cause.
The nationalist parties include CC (Canarian Coalition), NC (Nueva Canarias), [12] FREPIC-AWAÑAK (Popular Front of the Canary Islands), CCN (Nationalist Canarian Centre), [13] ANC (Canarian Nationalist Alternative), [14] Azarug, [15] Partido Nacionalista Canario [16] Alternativa Popular Canaria, Alternativa Maga Nacionalista, [17] and UP (Unidad del Pueblo).
There are also nationalist trade unions such as FSOC (Frente Sindical Obrero Canario), IC (Intersindical Canaria), as well as revolutionary organizations, like Inekaren. [18] Some radical groups use the word Taknara to refer to the Canary Islands, but other nationalists do not agree with this name. [19]
The movement has recently undergone a modest renaissance. The popular newspaper of the islands El Día has changed its editorial line to fit the nationalists' cause. In its pages it is normal to read the opinion of historical nationalist activists. In particular the "Project for a Federal Canarian Republic", written by Antonio Cubillo, has created a stir and a media debate. [20]
Berberism is a Berber ethnonationalist movement, that started mainly in Kabylia (Algeria) and Morocco during the French colonial era with the Kabyle myth and was largely driven by colonial capitalism and France's divide and conquer policy. The Berberist movement originally manifested itself as anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and Francophilia, that was sanctioned and sponsored by French colonial authorities. The movement later spread to other Berber communities in the Maghreb region of North Africa and was facilitated by colonial policies such as the Berber Dahir. The Berberist movement in Algeria and Morocco is in opposition to cultural Arabization, pan-Arabism and Islamism.
The National Congress of the Canaries is a separatist political party in the Canary Islands, Spain.
The Movement for the Self-Determination and Independence of the Canary Islands, was an independentist organization and socialist nature, founded in 1964 by Antonio Cubillo, whose objective was the secession of the Canary Islands from Spain. During the 1970s it operated through two terrorist groups: the Guanche Armed Forces (FAG) and the Canarian Armed Detachments (DAC), directly, but unintentionally causing one death. It maintained good relations with other terrorist groups, mainly First of October Anti-Fascist Resistance Groups (GRAPO), who provided it with weapons and explosives, and with socialist Arab governments, such as Libya and Algeria, which provided financing and in Algiers they had a radio station. Also MPAIAC radio programs asked the Canarian people to "return to their roots" and tried to popularize the Berber language.
The Popular Front of the Canary Islands or FREPIC-AWAÑAK is a marginal leftist political party seeking independence from Spain for the Canary Islands.
Antonio de León Cubillo Ferreira was a Spanish Independentist, politician, lawyer and militant from the Canary Islands.
Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo was a Spanish politician and academic. He served as President of the Canary Islands twice, from 1983 to 1987, and again from 1991 to 1993.
The Guanche Armed Forces was the armed wing of the Movement for the Self-Determination and Independence of the Canarian Archipelago, Spanish: Movimiento por la Autodeterminación e Independencia del Archipiélago Canario(MPAIAC). It was active between 1 November 1976 and late 1978, when the group unilaterally announced a "ceasefire" in what it considered to be "struggle against Spanish colonial occupation" of the Canary Islands.
The Church of the Guanche People is a religious organisation, founded in 2001 in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Its goal is to revive and spread the traditional religion of the indigenous Berber Guanche people who occupied the islands at the time of Castillian conquest.
The Nationalist Canary Party is a nationalist political party in the Canary Islands. Its current headquarters are in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife.
Alternativa Popular Canaria is a Canarian nationalist leftist party founded in 2002, and part of the Movimiento de Liberación Nacional Canario (MLNC). Its creation was spurred by the youth organisation Azarug and several municipal parties, as well as members of various leftist nationalist parties.
Azarug Is a leftist youth organization of the Canary Islands founded in 1992 that seeks the independence of the archipelago.
Canarian Nationalist Alternative is a Canarian left-wing nationalist political party, born in 2006 after a split of the People's Alternative for the Canary Islands (APC).
Canarian Assembly was a left-wing nationalist political party operating in the Canary Islands. The party aims were self-determination for the islands, workers' self-management and socialism.
The Nationalist Canarian Initiative, initially called Canarian Initiative, was a nationalist political party in the Canary Islands founded in 1991.
The Canarian United People was a left-wing nationalist political coalition operating in the Canary Islands. The party aim was self-determination for the islands and socialism. It was a coalition between various political parties and groups, with a communist, pro-independence or nationalist ideology. The coalition received the support of the MPAIAC.
Communist Party of the Canary Islands (provisional) (Spanish: Partido Comunista Canario-provisional, PCC(p)), later Party of the Canarian Revolution (Spanish: Partido de la Revolución Canaria), PRC) was a Marxist-Leninist and Canarian nationalist political party operating in the Canary Islands. The party aim was self-determination for the islands and socialism.
El Museo Canario is an archeological museum in Las Palmas, the capital city of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It is dedicated to the pre-colonial history of the Canary Islands.
Canary Islands Now is a left-wing and Canarian separatist electoral alliance founded in February 2019 in order to compete in the 2019 Spanish general election and the Canarian regional election of that same year. The alliance is formed by three parties: Canarian Nationalist Alternative, National Congress of the Canaries and the Unity of the People.
Secundino Delgado Rodríguez (1867–1912) was a Canarian journalist and politician, considered by some to be the father of Canarian nationalism.
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