Documentos RNE - Pablo Iglesias, un siglo de la muerte del santo laico

Date: December 7, 2025
Podcast: Documentos RNE
Host: Radio Nacional
Episode: Pablo Iglesias, un siglo de la muerte del santo laico

Overview: Honoring the Life and Legacy of Pablo Iglesias

This special commemorative episode marks the centenary of the death of Pablo Iglesias Posse (1850–1925), founder of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). Through immersive narration, expert commentary, testimonies, and historical documents, the episode recounts Iglesias’s journey from abject poverty to revered "santo laico" ("secular saint") and details his pivotal role in shaping Spain’s labor and political landscape. The episode also reflects on the endurance of his legacy and principles within contemporary Spain.

Early Life: From Galicia to Madrid’s Underclass

Key Points

• Iglesias was born into severe poverty in Ferrol, Galicia (1850), orphaned in his youth, and endured tremendous hardship.
• After his father's death, his mother led the family on foot to Madrid seeking survival (05:20–05:28).
• Both Pablo ("Paulino") and his brother spent time in the notorious Hospicio de San Fernando, living among hunger and deprivation.
• Early adversity motivated his lifelong commitment to education, solidarity, and justice.

Notable Quotes

• “Una infancia sin niñez” (A childhood without childhood). — Iglesias (07:10)
• “He sido siempre un hombre, con lo cual he tenido la desventaja de sufrir antes y más que otros.” — Iglesias (12:16)

Timestamps

• 04:03: Birth and family context
• 06:47: Life in the orphanage
• 07:43: Intellectual curiosity and the formative power of books

Intellectual and Political Awakening

Key Points

• Apprenticed as a typographer; this enabled literacy, steady work, and contact with political ideas.
• Became involved with the Association Internationale des Travailleurs (AIT, First International).
• Early labor activism centered on typographers, a key cohort in 19th-century urban labor.
• First published article, "¿Qué es la guerra?", denouncing war as a crime (13:45–13:54).

Notable Quotes

• “El ideal del Partido Socialista Obrero es la completa emancipación de la clase trabajadora.” — Commentator, quoting PSOE foundational ideals (17:05)

Timestamps

• 08:18: First experiences in the printing world
• 09:55–12:16: Madrid’s working-class conditions and the roots of his activism

Founding of PSOE & UGT: Tools for Worker Emancipation

Key Points

• Founding of PSOE (1879) as expansion of typographer associations—in a tavern near Puerta del Sol ("Casa Labra").
• The PSOE program was radical for its time: labor rights, education, gender equality.
• The UGT (founded 1888) complemented PSOE’s political work with direct labor action, health, and social support for workers.
• Iglesias practiced an austere and honest life, shunning privileges and dedicated fully to the cause.

Notable Quotes

• “Nace en una taberna... en la Casa Labra, cerca de la Puerta del Sol.” — Narrator (17:39)
• “El legado era la honradez, la honradez económica. Esto se lo reconocía todo el mundo.” — Actor as Pablo Iglesias (50:01)

Timestamps

• 17:39: Birth of PSOE in Casa Labra
• 22:09: UGT’s creation and Iglesias’s presidency

Key Struggles: Repression, Social Change, and Political Entry

Key Points

• Frequent arrests for political activism—"santidad laica" recognized even by adversaries for his uprightness (19:24).
• Repeatedly refused clemency or favors: “siempre rechaza el indulto” (19:53).
• The foundation of El Socialista newspaper (1886) as organ of the party and movement.
• The “Casa del Pueblo” in Madrid (1908): a groundbreaking workers’ community center providing healthcare, education, and solidarity.

Notable Quotes

• “El Socialista... la obra de una vida.” — Narrator (21:10)
• “Las casas del pueblo jugaron un papel importantísimo.” — Interviewer/Analyst (37:18)
• (On integrity) “Mientras estemos aquí nosotros, se robará menos.” — Actor as Pablo Iglesias (35:43)

Timestamps

• 20:37: Creation of El Socialista
• 37:10: Casa del Pueblo inauguration

Representation and National Impact

Key Points

• PSOE’s breakthrough into local government: first socialist councilors in Bilbao (1891), then Madrid (1905).
• Despite fraud and repression, growing representation signaled irreversible social change.
• Iglesias’s opposition to colonial wars, denouncing Spain’s colonial policies as sacrificing the poor for the interests of the rich (33:07–33:37).
• 1910: Iglesias becomes Spain’s first socialist deputy, symbolizing the working class’s political ascension.

Notable Quotes

• “Sé lo que son los asilos, lo que es el hospital, lo que es la cárcel... Y esto lo sé por ciencia propia.” — Actor as Pablo Iglesias addressing Parliament (39:15)
• Antonio Machado: “La voz de Pablo Iglesias tiene para mí el timbre de la verdad humana.” (25:49)

Timestamps

• 35:03: Socialist entry into Madrid’s City Council
• 39:15: First socialist parliamentary address

Late Years, Legacy, and Reflection

Key Points

• The rise of new leaders (Largo Caballero, Besteiro, Prieto) as Iglesias’s health declined.
• His pivotal stance in 1919–21 helped prevent PSOE’s entry into the Communist International, preserving PSOE’s separate identity (43:31–43:58).
• Until his last days, Iglesias remained a point of reference; nearly 40,000 letters and untold articles/connections maintained his authority.
• Died December 9, 1925: massive public funeral; legacy as the “santo laico” of Spanish socialism; remembered for incorruptible ethics.

Notable Quotes

• “La última palabra que escribió fue la palabra España. Una cosa bonita.” — Actor/Voice of Pablo Iglesias (46:40)
• “El ideario de los proletarios está dictado por la razón e inspirado por la justicia.” — Historian/Commentator (47:31)

Timestamps

• 46:40: Iglesias’s last writings
• 48:10–48:43: Worker-led burial, stewardship of memory

Reflection on the Present: PSOE, UGT, and Enduring Ideals

Key Points

• Debates about continuity and change within PSOE/UGT; evolution acknowledged but foundational values still honored.
• Tribute acts at his grave—PSOE’s first absolute parliamentary majority in 1982 was marked by homage.
• Contemporary calls to imitate, not just invoke, his example.

Notable Quotes

• “Habría que citarle menos e imitarle más.” — Compañero Ramón Rubial cited (52:01)
• “Un luchador abnegado que no quiere nada y que lo quiere todo.” — Narrator (49:55)

Timestamps

• 49:32: Centenary tribute
• 52:01: 1982 homage after PSOE’s government win

Memorable Moments and Emotional Climax

• The recounting of massive funeral manifestations, unmatched outpouring of working-class respect (02:53–03:07).
• Direct testimonies from relatives (31:54–32:20), and remembrance from intellectuals like Antonio Machado and Ortega y Gasset (25:49–36).
• The final scene: the funeral handled only by workers, capping the full-circle narrative of solidarity and humility (48:10–48:43).

Closing Quote

“El ideario de los proletarios está dictado por la razón e inspirado por la justicia. Y hagan lo que hagan sus enemigos, vencerá.”
— Pablo Iglesias, last article, read at the close (47:31; 52:01)

For Further Listening:
The episode offers a profound, vivid account of Pablo Iglesias’s journey from destitution to historic leadership of Spain’s labor left. It underscores his unwavering ethics, personal sacrifices, and the enduring relevance of his vision for justice, equality, and solidarity in modern Spain.