Gino Pinasco: What memories do the departure of the shoe businessman bring back?

Gino Pinasco, the businessman who was one of the owners of one of the shoe factories with the longest history in our country, ceased to exist yesterday at the age of 80. With Pinasco we remember the years of consolidation of the industrial manufacturing stage of Peru in the 60s, as well as the fight that businessmen had to overcome in the late 80s and early 90s against the MRTA and Sendero Luminoso.

“The experience with the Smoot-Hawley Act shows that protectionism is very dangerous, since it reduces the purchasing power of consumers, especially affecting low-income families by significantly increasing the prices of consumer goods such as clothing and food; generating a drop in spending and economic growth,” said the economist.

The Diamond

In block 4 of Argentina Avenue, two blocks from La Cachina, is the “El Diamante” whereabouts, so called because the old El Diamante Footwear Factory was located in that area.

At the beginning of the 40s, the factory had three warehouses and in the 70s they had already opened dozens of stores throughout the country, with Bata Rímac being its main competitor.

The prosperity that El Diamante had achieved in the 80s (it had 19 stores in Lima and others in 11 cities in the country) led it to finance an album in tribute to the captain of the Peruvian team, Héctor Chumpitaz, taking advantage of the euphoria of the classification to the Spain 82 World Cup.

However, El Diamante’s success was diminished by terrorism. During the last years of the 80s and early 90s, Sendero Luminoso and the MRTA expanded rapidly among the unions, taking advantage of the unique situation of the industrial crisis that at the end of the 80s had affected these unions of workers. .

Opposing the violent actions of the subversive group was reason enough to be accused of being an enemy of Pensamiento Gonzalo. No matter who it was, district and provincial mayors, social and political leaders, terrorism ended their lives.

One of these victims was Roberto Chiara, a union leader from El Diamante, who was murdered by members of Sendero Luminoso at the door of his work for not complying with an armed strike.

Before his death, the proposal came to him to comply with the strike by the senderistas. Chiara decided to put it to the consideration of the rest of the members and the rejection was approved. That cost him a shot in the head.

“This is how snitches and traitors die,” said the message left as a warning.

Chiara was of Trotskyist thinking and a leader of the Federation of Footwear, Leather and Related Workers of Peru, but she was not the only victim.

This situation, in which a great economic crisis was simultaneously hitting the country, Gino Pinasco had to face. The company was finally deregistered by Sunat in 2004.

Passion for sport

Pinasco is also remembered as a fan of Peruvian soccer. He was president of the University Sports Club between 2007 and 2009, winning the national title in 2009. The ‘U’ had not won since 2000.

“He was considered an honest leader,” commented sources close to football.

“The University Sports Club regrets the sensitive death of Gino Pinasco, former president of the club. We send our condolences to his family and friends. Rest in peace, Gino!”, they indicated from the ‘U’.

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