The International Dimension of Ação Libertadora Nacional

This paper will sustain that the experiences of Brazil’s revolutionaries must be seen in the context of world history. It will focus on the international influences on Ação Libertadora Nacional (ALN), the largest of Brazil’s revolutionary groups of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the ways in which exile transformed the lives of ALN militants and affected their political strategies and careers. The ALN was founded by Carlos Marighella, a long-time member of the Partido Comunista Brasileiro deeply influenced by the revolutionary experiences of Cuba and China and allied with Cuba in the effort to overthrow the Brazilian military regime and bring socialism to his country. ALN guerrillas trained in Cuba, received financial support from as far as North Korea, and sought refuge or went into exile in Chile, Cuba, the United States, and Europe. These militants took back to Brazil new experiences and ideas that guided their re-assimilation in to society and reshaped their ideology and political activities. With broader backgrounds because of their international experiences, these militants were especially suited to contribute to the redemocratization of Brazil.