Marinaleda

The first indications of human settlement in the territory now covered by the Marinaleda municipality go back to the late Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, about 5,000 years ago. Stone tools and traces of seeds and dwelling places have been found.

There was a major Roman presence, and some date the foundation of the village to this period. The Roman road connecting the villages of Astigi (present-day Écija) and Ostippo (Estepa) ran by Marinaleda, and there have been many discoveries from the period.

The Arab presence is visible in monuments such as the Towers of Gallape and the fortress of Alhonoz. The region was conquered by the Christian monarchs in the 13th century, and Marinaleda came under the rule of the religious Order of Santiago. Philip II granted the village to the first Marquess of Estepa, and it would remain under this ownership until manors were dissolved in the 19th century.

Marinaleda then grew as a population centre due to the influx of day labourers working for large landowners, especially the Marquesses of Estepa. There is evidence that, in 1751, there were 60 houses lived in by landless labourers, who earned two reals for a full day's work.

In the 18th century, Marinaleda had three clergymen and a shop belonging to the Marquess of Peñaflor, who lived in Écija. The main economic activity was rain-fed agriculture.

During the 19th century in Marinaleda and neighbouring territories, there were several groups of bandits involving residents of the municipality. Notable groups include those commanded by José María Hinojosa Cobacho, "El Tempranillo", Francisco Ríos González "El Pernales", and Juan Caballero.

In 1931, the population of Marinaleda was 2,318, of whom only 317 were entitled to vote. The elections of 12 April that year were won by monarchist supporters, whereas those of 31 May were won by republicans. The final elections of the Republican period, on 16 February 1936, were won by the Popular Front.

At the start of the Civil War, troops supporting the coup assassinated the mayor, Vicente Cejas Moreno, his son, and at least 30 other residents. In the postwar period, the population suffered great poverty, hunger, and repression. The poor survived by gleaning olives and acorns from the fields of the estates.

The industrialization of Spain beginning in the 1960s encouraged emigration from Marinaleda to industrial areas, especially Catalonia, as well as to other countries such as Germany, France, and Switzerland.

Upon the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, the dictatorship he had established in Spain gave way to a representative democracy. In 1977, the Sindicato de Obreros del Campo (Union of Farm Workers) was founded in Marinaleda. The following year, a struggle for land began with a two-day occupation of the Bocatinaja estate, between Osuna and Los Corrales.

The first post-Franco municipal elections were held in 1979. The Colectivo de Unidad de los Trabajadores (Workers' Unity Collective) won in Marinaleda, gaining 9 of the 11 council seats. The new council replaced street names associated with the victors of the Civil War by names of left-wing heroes. For example, Muñoz Grandes street became Che Guevara street, the Plaza of Spain became the People's Plaza, and the Plaza of Francisco Franco was renamed after Salvador Allende.

In 1980, 700 people staged a 13-day hunger strike, demanding better pay and stricter regulation of the old system of employment. The success of this action led to intensification of the land struggle, with further occupations of large landowners' estates under the slogan "Land to those who work on it". In 1984, the Cordobilla marsh was occupied for 30 days to demand irrigation for a farm called El Humoso, property of the Duke of Infantado, facilitating its later expropriation.

In 1985, the occupation of estates increased in number by at least 100, as well as in length, extending to over 90 days. This led to many legal actions.

In 1991, a 1,200-hectare (3,000-acre) tract of El Humoso farm was handed over to Marinaleda for the use of the population. Demonstrations demanding a life of dignity increased between 1992 and 1994, with many occupations of government buildings and institutions.

In 1997, irrigation was extended to the whole of the El Humoso, and the Marinaleda S.C.A. A cooperative was founded to cultivate the farm collectively. Three years later, a food processing plant was set up, supplied by the raw materials of the cooperative: piquillo pepper, beans, artichokes, and olives. An oil press was also built. Production continued to increase, and employment along with it.

During the euro area crisis, while 30% of the active population in Andalusia was without work, Marinaleda had full employment.

The social and political system that has been implemented in the community, and the good results obtained in terms of economic development and well-being of the inhabitants, has brought Marinaleda to the attention of the media in Spain and abroad.

The "Social Democracy" tab on the town's website states the following:

And while we were struggling for land, for industry, for employment, we realised that there were other basic rights that had to be won. And the first necessity we identified was the lack of places to live, but we also realised that there was no place for our elders after so many years of hardship and troubles, nor was there a medical clinic, nor a day nursery, nor sports facilities, and the streets were unpaved and almost unlit.

By Social Democracy we mean unlimited access to all forms of well-being for the whole population of our village. We have always thought that liberty without equality is nothing, and that democracy without real well-being for real people is an empty word and a way to deceive people into believing they are part of a project when in fact they are not needed at all.

It seemed to us that in this principle there should be no limits; that the people should have a dream of collective welfare and that it should be realized by struggle, because no popular aspirations, no matter how unreachable they may seem, can be rejected either in thought or in action by a genuinely revolutionary Left.

In this way, we were able to win each and all of the things that we were clearly lacking.

In 2023, Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, mayor of Marinaleda since 1979, retired due to ill health. His successor is Sergio Gómez Reyes.

Iglesia Parroquial de Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza, data del siglo XVII, en concreto de 1666. Es un templo de una sola nave de estilo clasicista con modificaciones posteriores. En su interior destaca el retablo mayor en madera policromada de 1859. Tienen especial relevancia dos imágenes del siglo XVIII, un Jesús nazareno y una Virgen de los dolores realizada por el escultor José Fabré en 1776 y una tabla en la que se representa el calvario del siglo XVIII. Son también de interés un cáliz del siglo XVI y un ostensorio de finales del XVIII.

En Marinaleda se celebran varias fiestas y ferias, algunas de ellas vienen de la tradición histórica mientras que otras se han organizado desde los nuevos valores que han surgido en la población.

Candelaria, día 2 de febrero. Se celebra con hogueras donde se queman muñecos alegóricos y se celebran bailes populares alrededor de ellas.

Carnaval, con gran participación popular, bailes, disfraces y murgas.

San Marcos, día 25 de abril.

Semana Santa y Semana por la Paz : El Jueves Santo sale la Hermandad del Cristo atado a la Columna y la Virgen de la Esperanza y el Viernes Santo sale la Hermandad de nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno y María santísima de los Dolores, que son portados a hombros de los costaleros por las calles del pueblo. También hay procesiones el Domingo de Ramos con la Borriquilla, y el Domingo de Resurrección, la Patrona, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza. Como alternativa a la fiesta religiosa se celebra la Semana por la Paz con un carácter eminentemente cultural en el cual se destacan figuras como los cantantes El Cabrero, Paco Ibáñez, Jarcha, José Mercé o el teatro de Alberti.

Nuestra Señora de los Caminos, tercera semana de mayo. Se hace romería.

Feria de Santiago, mediados de julio. Es una feria autogestionada en la cual cada año se elige un motivo (contra la Celebración del V Centenario, por la Reforma Agraria, en honor a Ernesto Che Guevara o a favor del pueblo saharaui...) y los actos se desarrollan alrededor del mismo. Se hacen turnos voluntarios para realizar diferentes actos y eventos. Desde la organización de la feria se dice que es «la respuesta a la antigua celebración donde existía una caseta cercada con cañizos con una entrada que no podían pagar los más humildes y donde sólo se divertían un puñado de familias de la pequeña burguesía, el boticario y la guardia civil».​

San Nicolás de Tolentino, día 10 de septiembre, son las fiestas patronales de la localidad.

Nochevieja: Realización de una comida colectiva y gratuita, organizada por el Sindicato de Obreros del Campo y el ayuntamiento de Marinaleda. Organiza también una verbena popular. El objetivo es desarrollar la convivencia y ayudar romper malentendidos así como marcar los retos para el año que comienza.

Festival Flamenco de Marinaleda: El certamen se caracteriza por su formato, sólo cuatro artistas, y por su apoyo explícito al flamenco sin aditivos. Está organizado por el ayuntamiento.

Día de la Paz , día 30 de enero, asesinato de Mahatma Gandhi. Es una fiesta infantil en la cual se da valor a la paz, se queman juguetes bélicos y se sustituyen por otros de otro tipo, además de diferentes actos culturales.

•Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, político y sindicalista español de ideología nacionalista andaluza y de izquierdas

El municipio de Marinaleda tiene una larga tradición de lucha jornalera, lo que ha influido decisivamente en la consecución de diversos avances políticos y sociales.

Marinaleda está gobernada desde 1979 por el Colectivo de Unidad de los Trabajadores - Bloque Andaluz de Izquierdas (CUT), partido de izquierdas y andalucista liderado por Juan Manuel Sánchez Gordillo, que ha vencido en todas las elecciones municipales por mayoría absoluta. En 1986 el CUT fue una de las organizaciones fundadoras de Izquierda Unida, por lo que desde ese año se presenta dentro de las listas de esa coalición.

En las elecciones municipales de 2011, IULV-CA consiguió nueve concejales (con el 73,08% de los votos) y el PSOE de Andalucía dos concejales (21,39%). El PP no obtuvo representación (4,06%).

Todas las decisiones y temas municipales (impuestos, vivienda, empleo) son sometidas al veredicto del pueblo, que vota a mano alzada o a veces a través de voto secreto en el curso de un centenar de asambleas generales o asambleas de barrio que tienen lugar cada año.

Sánchez Gordillo renunció a presentarse a las elecciones municipales de 2023 debido a problemas de salud. Sin embargo, su partido Con Andalucía, ahora liderado por Sergio Gómez Reyes, volvió a obtener más del 50 % los votos.​​

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