The reorganisation of free labour. Spanish anarchists and the dissemination of the libertarian ideal in Cuba

The libertarian doctrine spread throughout Cuba in the last decades of the nineteenth century thanks, in no small part, to the activities of Spanish anarchists. After that time, this current of thought slowly gained converts until by the early twentieth century, anarchist ideas were one of the main doctrines among the island’s workers. This paper will examine some of the reasons for this, which explain, in part, the spread of anarchism in Cuba during the early years of independence from Spain -1900 to 1915-, and the role played by the Spanish anarchists in that sense. In particular, this paper will analyse the tactics and methods that the anarchists used in order to expand the ideal across the island.