How Did Maoism Get to Latin America? The Role of Latin American Agents of Chinese Cultural Diplomacy

This paper examines the pivotal role played by Latin American agents of Chinese cultural diplomacy in the spreading Maoist ideas to Latin America. During the 1960s and 1970s, Maoists challenged the pro-Soviet communists for hegemony on the left in most Latin American countries and provided an influential narrative for connecting Latin American social movements to liberation movements in Asia and Africa. The subjects of this paper were the key links between Chinese efforts to promote the People’s Republic’s official ideology and the social movements influenced by Maoism in Latin America.