Person
Alonso, Bruno (1887-1977)Other forms
Castillo (Arnuero, Cantabria, España) 1887-10-06 - Ciudad de México (México) 1977-01-19
Spanish metallurgist, syndicalist and distinguished member of the Socialist Party in Cantabria.
Alonso had been worked at different metallurgical enterprises since he was 12-years-old, until he joined the Spanish Company of the North Railway when he was 27-years-old. Linked to PSOE and UGT since his youth, he founded the Youth Socialists of Santander and later on the Metallurgical Union of Santander, heading it. Moreover, in 1922 Alonso founded the UGT Workers Federation of Santander. Regarding his political career, Alonso had been a councillor at the City Council of Santander, and a candidate to provincial deputy. During Primo de Rivera's dictatorship, he was fired, exiled and imprisoned. On 14th April, he handled the City Council of Santander as the president of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee, and declared the Spanish Second Republic from the balconies of the Civil Government. During the Second Republic, he was chosen deputy for Santander three times. Among Alonso's feats, it can be highlighted the protection of Cantabrian workers' life and working conditions, claiming some measures to face workers' unemployment due to the regional industry crisis; moreover, the Northern Hydrographical Confederation's situation, Santander port, the Marine Biological Station, the capital city prison, the railway fares, and the lay teachers' situation, among others. Alonso participated in the Spanish Civil War as a war commissioner in the Defence Board of Santander. On 29th December 1936, colonel Prieto named him the Commissioner of the Republican Fleet until March 1939, when the Fleet ran away. Bruno Alonso was also the commissioner of the Cartagena base from 1937, even though this position disappeared because of the pressure exerted by the soldiers opposed to the figure of the commissioner. However, he fought the "cabo de Cherchell" and "cabo de Palos" battles. On 5th March 1939, after the soldiers upraised in favour of Franco, he ran away along with the Fleet to Argelia, and once there, he was imprisoned in Maknassy. At the end of 1942, he moved from Casablanca (Marruecos) to Mexico aboard the "Nyassa". Alonso went into exile to Mexico thanks to the Assistance Board of the Spanish Republic, where he stayed almost the rest of his life. Alonso participated in the PSOE of Cantabria issues from Mexico, being a candidate for the executive presidency of PSOE at the Congress in 1952. Alonso also published some books about the Republican Fleet during the Civil War, the Spanish and Cantabrian press collaboration, the exile and some reflections about the Working Class Fight. He finally died on 19th January 1977 in Ciudad de México.
Description: Parte desde Casablanca a bordo del vapor Nyassa rumbo a Veracruz.
Date of the event: 1942 - 1942-10-16
Location associated with the date:
Date of the event: 1936 - 1939
Description: Diputado por Santander del Partido Socialista Español en las tres legislaturas. 1931-1933 de las Comisiones de Gobernación; Obras Públicas y Trabajo. 1933-1936 de las Comisiones de Guerra y de la de Marina. 1936-1939 de las Comisiones de Obras Públicas; Comunicaciones, Transportes y Obras Públicas; Defensa Nacional e Instrucción pública (suplente).
Date of the event: 1923 - 1930
El Centro Documental de la Memoria Histórica dispone de un Fondo asociado a su persona. Autor de los siguientes libros:
-La flota republicana en la guerra civil española (Memorias de su comisario general). México: Imp. Grafos, 1944.
-El proletariado militante. México: Casa Ramírez, 1957.
-Los últimos momentos de la guerra civil de España, en Revista Mundo, México, 1943.
Código de referencia: ES.37274.CDMH/2.1// Signatura: INCORPORADOS,8 y 9
Portal de Movimientos Migratorios Iberoamericanos - Micrositio de PARES