Rural community, socioenvironmental conflict, and political organizations in the Galicia of the transition period. The case of “As Encrobas”, 1976-1977

Abstract

This paper analyzes one of the most important environmental conflicts that occurred in Galicia (NorthWest Spain) at the beginnings of the Spanish transition to democracy (1976 – 1977). Our methodology consists of concepts and methods based on Collective Action and Social Movements theory in a historical perspective. We apply here the succeeded tool of Political Opportunities Structures whose different dimensions —such as degree of relative openness concerning institutionalized political system; stability or instability of the alignments among elites; presence or absence of allies among the elites and the state's capacity and propensity for repression...— are considered in order to provide a multicausal and integral historical interpretation of this affair. This conflict traced a deep impact into the collective memory of the Galician society. The paper also offers an example of the different processes of political mobilization (into a democratic direction) that took place in rural Spain.