Gabriel Salazar | |
|---|---|
 Salazar in 2015 | |
| Born | (1936-01-31)31 January 1936 (age 90) Santiago, Chile |
| Alma mater |
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| Awards | Santiago Municipal Literature Award (2000) Chilean National History Award (2006) Santiago Municipal Literature Award (2016) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | History of Chile,social history |
Gabriel Salazar Vergara (born 31 January 1936) is a far-leftChileanhistorian. He is known in his country for his study ofsocial history and interpretations ofsocial movements, particularly the recent student protests of2006 and2011–12.
Salazar was born into alower class family, he studied history, sociology and philosophy atUniversidad de Chile, and for time he was assistant of historianMario Góngora and classical historianHéctor Herrera Cajas.[1] Salazar used to be a member of theRevolutionary Left Movement until 1973.[2] During that year, he was tortured inVilla Grimaldi by the military.[2] Once released from military prison camp in 1976, he went into exile in theUnited Kingdom. There he obtained a scholarship for continued studies at theUniversity of Hull. He obtained a PhD in Economic and Social History from the university in 1984. The next year he returned to Chile. Relatively unknown, Salazar's breakthrough came in 1985.
His subject of study has includedpeons,labourers,proletarians, child huachos[A] and women.[1] Salazar is one of the founders of thehistoriographic current known asNueva Historia Social. Salazar considers history as a useful tool forsocial action. In past interviews, he has declared himself a "leftist, critical social historian" and rejected the label "Marxist".[1]
Salazar was born into alower class religious Catholic family. His family lived in the Santiago shanty-town (población) Manuel Montt.[1]
From 1964 to 1968, he worked at thePontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso History Institute alongsideHéctor Herrera Cajas. There, he taught the signaturetheory of history.
Salazar describes the2011-2012 Chilean student conflict as being the continuation of a long strife between popular citizen movements and civic andmilitary dictatorships.[3] In October 2011, Salazar led a campaign aiming to hold a citizen'splebiscite on the demands behind the 2011-2012 Chilean student protests.[4]
Salazar has been critical of various historical figures likeJosé Miguel Carrera[5] andDiego Portales.[B] In addition Salazar has sparkled controversy with his criticism of contemporary student leaderCamila Vallejo.[C]
Media related toGabriel Salazar at Wikimedia Commons
