Miguel Yoldi
Miguel Yoldi Beroiz | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1903-04-14 Pamplona, Spain |
| Died | 1961-08-13 |
| Occupation(s) | Anarcho-syndicalist, bookseller, educator |
| Known for | General Secretary of the National Confederation of Labor (CNT) |
Miguel Yoldi Beroiz (14 April 1903 – 13 August 1961) was an anarcho-syndicalist originating from Navarre.
Biography
Born in Pamplona on 14 April 1903, Miguel Yoldi Beroiz received his education at the House of Mercy located in Pamplona. His professional experience included work as a turner, sailor, and educator. At the age of 17, he became a member of the National Confederation of Labor (CNT).
During the Dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, Yoldi sought refuge in France but returned to Spain following the establishment of the Second Republic in 1931. He then operated a bookstore dedicated to disseminating anarchist writings until 1934. That year, he was elected General Secretary of the CNT, succeeding Joaquín Ascaso Budria and moving his base to Barcelona. His term lasted until the Zaragoza Congress of 1936, after which Horacio Martínez Prieto took over.
At the onset of the Spanish Civil War, Yoldi assumed the role of Secretary of Defense for Catalonia, playing a key role in countering the military rebellion in Barcelona on 19 July 1936. He enlisted with the Durruti Column during the Aragon Offensive and subsequently supported Buenaventura Durruti in Madrid’s defense. After sustaining injuries at University City in Madrid—the site where Durruti was killed—he returned to fight on the Aragon front in December 1937. There, he succeeded Enric Pérez i Farràs as commander of the militia for the 24th Division within the XII Army, sharing leadership with José Manzana Vivó. Following the collapse of the Aragon front in spring 1938, Republican authorities detained him and removed him from his command position. Subsequently, he served on the Selection Board of the Military Academy until the conflict concluded.
After the Republican defeat, Yoldi fled into exile with his family, initially settling in France before relocating to Mexico. In exile, he led a faction of the CNT that cooperated with the Spanish Republican government in exile. In 1945, he provided counsel to Horacio Martínez Prieto during Prieto’s ministerial role in José Giral’s government. From 1947 until his passing, Yoldi occupied several leadership posts within the CNT operating abroad.
Works
- Controversial polemics (1946)
External links
- Miguel Yoldi at Basque Encyclopedia Auñamendi
- Miguel Yoldi Beroiz at anarcoefemerides