The documentary theater piece "Cordones Industriales" bridges the gap to the transformative power of self-organization. Based on the historical experiences of the Unidad Popular in Chile, the production tells a story of lived resistance and political emancipation.
Image gallery
Maximiliano Sobarzo Ibarra
Nicolas Calderon
Jorge Pericó
At its heart are five cleaning women—workers employed under precarious conditions and without union support. Through their voices, the Cordones Industriales movement comes alive, a movement that united thousands of people in Chile between 1972 and 1973 and marked a turning point in the country's political history.
The production is grounded in extensive historical research by the collective Tarea Urgente. The team uses interviews with contemporary witnesses, private photographs, and documents from the Chilean National Library to intertwine personal narratives with historical analysis.
Under the direction of Valeria Yáñez, documentary theater becomes political practice. For over 13 years, the collective has been working at the intersection of art, history, and activism. They collaborate with important memorial sites—such as the Estadio Nacional, the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, and the Villa Grimaldi—as well as with trade unions and social movements. During the social uprising (Estallido Social) in 2019, Tarea Urgente was present with performances at local assemblies and on the streets.
Now, for the first time, the piece invites Berlin audiences to reflect on organizational strategies that have taken on a new urgency in light of the global shift to the right.
In 1970, Salvador Allende became the world's first democratically elected socialist president. This triggered massive resistance from the USA; US President Nixon warned of a "red sandwich" in Latin America. The boycott against Allende's government was massive and ranged from media manipulation to the artificial shutdown of factories.
In this climate of resistance, the Cordones Industriales emerged: female workers occupied the factories and continued production independently. This process came to an abrupt end with the bloody military coup of September 11, 1973. Left-wing activists were murdered, abducted, and tortured. Thousands of workers from occupied factories were taken to the National Stadium, which became the country's largest prison camp.
(Spanish | German/English translation)
