My only experience of anything similar was the 'comissoes de moradores' in
Portugal in the 1970s. I don't know if these really were like the
asambleas populares in Argentina now - maybe it's something completely
different? If it is similar, then:
1. they were not a party, but many of the most energetic people in them
were also involved in parties
2. their spirit was very similar to that of free software:
* if there is something that needs to be organized (new drains, or food
supplies, or a rent strike) the people would do it themselves, together,
instead of waiting for someone else to do it. Like the idea of'scratch
your own itch' in software.
* good ideas and examples would spread from one comissao to another very
quickly
* they involved endless talking but mostly things happened because a few
people went ahead and did things; once everyone saw something started,
then they would join in too (== 'release early, release often')
3. where they wanted something technical done, then sympathetic experts
could almost always be found to help (eg. architects to design houses,
which people then built themselves (together)).
Point 3 would be where the natural link with free software might come...
eg. if groups wanted to communicate with others in different towns, or
set up free access points for the internet using old donated computers,
or set up computer teaching for their children, etc.
Or maybe this is all completely unrealistic and I'm confusing different
things?