ABSTRACT
This chapter will compare Recabarren and two of his contemporaries: Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937) and José Carlos Mariátegui (1894–1930). There are other Marxists from the same period who, along with Recabarren and Mariátegui, share the reputation of forerunners of Marxism in Latin America; such is the case of Antonio Mella. The reasons to center the comparative chapter on these three Marxists have to do, in part, with the assumptions sustained in the literature about their similarities, possible influences, shared time periods, and, above all, their common class and political backgrounds. In this chapter, I will discuss the similarities and the differences, if any, between Recabarren and Gramsci with respect to the role of the organizations, particularly the party. The comparison between Recabarren and Mariátegui will center, first and foremost on the “Indigenous Question,” which Mariátegui is best known for, but also on their different views on religion and their similarities as Marxist intellectuals.
