Dolores Ibarruri

Dolores Ibárruri was born on December 9, 1895 in Gallarta, a mining town in Biscay, Spain. She was the eighth of eleven children of a Basque miner and a Castilian seamstress. She had a difficult childhood marked by poverty and illness. She left school at 15 and worked as a seamstress, a housemaid and a waitress. She married Julián Ruiz Gabiña, a socialist activist, in 1915 and had six children with him. She became interested in politics and joined the Socialist Youth of Somorrostro in 1918. She also read the works of Karl Marx and other socialist thinkers. She became a writer for the socialist newspaper El Minero Vizcaíno and adopted the pseudonym La Pasionaria ("The Passionflower"). She joined the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) in 1920 and became one of its leaders. She was elected to the Cortes (parliament) as a PCE deputy for Asturias in 1931 and 1936. She was a prominent figure in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), supporting the Republican side against the fascist rebels led by Francisco Franco. She gave fiery speeches on the radio and in public rallies, inspiring the resistance with her slogan "No pasarán!" ("They shall not pass!"). She also advocated for women's rights, social justice and international solidarity. She lost her husband and two of her children during the war. She went into exile in 1939, first in France and then in the Soviet Union. She became the general secretary of the PCE in 1942 and led the party from abroad. She supported the anti-fascist movements in Europe and Latin America and denounced the crimes of Stalinism. She returned to Spain in 1977 after the death of Franco and the restoration of democracy. She was re-elected to the Cortes for Asturias in 1977 and 1979. She resigned from her post as general secretary of the PCE in 1980 and became its honorary president. She died on November 12, 1989 in Madrid at the age of 93. She was buried in the Civil Cemetery of La Almudena with full honors. She is regarded as a symbol of courage, dignity and freedom by many people around the world.