Las reflexiones checoslovacas del golpe El exilio chileno en Checoslovaquia El Servicio Latinoame... more Las reflexiones checoslovacas del golpe El exilio chileno en Checoslovaquia El Servicio Latinoamericano de Radio Praga La importancia de las organizaciones internacionales Chile en el espacio público checoslovaco 4. Relaciones después de 1989 Formación de nuevos cimientos El legado de la solidaridad chilena en una sociedad poscomunista Conexión cultural checo-chilena Bajo el signo del multilateralismo Conclusión Momentos importantes en las relaciones checo-chilenas
Michal Zourek / la visión de checoslovaquia en los testiMonios latinoaMericanos (1948-1968): desd... more Michal Zourek / la visión de checoslovaquia en los testiMonios latinoaMericanos (1948-1968): desde los elogios al estalinisMo a la crítica de las condiciones capitalistas 11 Michal Zourek La visión de Checoslovaquia en los testimonios latinoamericanos (1948-1968): desde los elogios al estalinismo a la crítica de las condiciones capitalistas 1 Introducción Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial podemos observar un aumento significativo del número de intelectuales latinoamericanos que visitaron el «misterioso» mundo tras de la Cortina del Hierro. 1 Algunos realizaron visitas de un par de días, mientras que otros se quedaron por más tiempo, ya fuera por trabajo o por la obtención de asilo político. Las motivaciones eran diferentes. Esto dio lugar a decenas de testimonios, en muchos casos olvidados, entre cuyos autores encontramos también algunas de las voces más destacadas de la literatura mundial (Rupprecht, 2015; Alburquerque, 2011). El estudio se centra en los textos dedicados a Checoslovaquia, país que, dentro del Bloque del Este, tenía una posición especial en varios aspectos (Zourek, 2014, 26-27). Debido a razones geográficas y logísticas, la capital checoslovaca no solo contaba con una gran cantidad de organizaciones internacionales, sino que también fue sede de muchos congresos. Por lo tanto, la mayoría de los visitantes que se dirigían a Moscú como destino principal, lo hacían desde el aeropuerto de Praga. Este es otro de los motivos por los que disponemos de más testimonios latinoamericanos sobre Checoslovaquia que sobre otros satélites (Zourek, 2019). El período analizado lo representan los primeros veinte años del gobierno comunista en Checoslovaquia, es decir, el período entre 1948 y 1968. Durante la primera década de posguerra la simpatía de los intelectuales de izquierda por la Unión Soviética alcanzó su máximo esplendor (Sirinelli, Ory, 2007; Judt, 2011). El XX Congreso del Partido Comunista de la URSS celebrado en febrero de 1956, en el que Nikita Khrushchev habló abiertamente sobre los crímenes del estalinismo y la sangrienta invasión en Hungría, que tuvo lugar en otoño del mismo año, simbolizan el fin de una etapa.
The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American intellectuals on the subject... more The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American intellectuals on the subject of their visits to Prague. It combines the genres of scientific study and annotated edition. The chosen period of 1947-1959 was defined by the beginning of the Cold War and by the Cuban Revolution. After World War II, the sympathies of left-wing intellectuals towards the Soviet Union reached its peak. After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world. The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Prague. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors. The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non-Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American
intellectuals on the subject... more The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American intellectuals on the subject of their visits to Communist Czechoslovakia. It combines the genres of scientific study and annotated edition. The chosen period of 1947–1959 was defined by the beginning of the Cold War and by the Cuban Revolution. After World War II, the sympathies of left‑wing intellectuals towards the Soviet Union reached its peak. After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world. The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies, most of which are being published in Czech for the first time. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Czechoslovakia. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown in the Czech environment. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors. The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non‑Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
This book, through literature and archival sources, analyses the historical development of Urugua... more This book, through literature and archival sources, analyses the historical development of Uruguay, the smallest Spanish-speaking country of South America. It builds on previous work by Czech authors dedicated to Uruguayan issues, as well as deals with many aspects of the country´s political and cultural life which have not yet been addressed in the Czech Republic. The work retains the standard breakdown of the book series “A Brief History of States”. In addition to the chronological development of the country, the text is supplemented by a brief overview of Czech-Uruguayan relations, encyclopaedic information, basic information for tourists, the most important words and phrases, and an overview of Uruguayan presidents.
The actual history is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the pre-Columbian period, colonization and the wars for independence. The future residents of the independent state had very limited impact on its establishment. The country effectively came into being as a result of diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing Argentina and Brazil gaining overall control of the strategically important area of the Río de la Plata estuary. The second chapter analyses the issues of the 19th century when Uruguay was an unstable, war-torn country, in which its citizens lacked national awareness. The third chapter is devoted to the early 20th century when Uruguay undertook fundamental reforms which made it a democratic and prosperous country. At that time, the government proudly described Uruguay as the Switzerland of Latin America. Its football team went on to win several titles at the Olympic Games and World Championships. The fourth chapter describes the gradual disillusionment of the Uruguayan nation as a result of the turbulent period between the economic crisis of the 1930´s and the end of the civil-military dictatorship in the mid-1980´s. The final chapter looks at the developments in Uruguay since the restoration of democracy in 1985, up to the present day, when the leftist coalition Broad Front (Frente Amplio) succeeded in winning the presidential election for the third time in a row. The interpretation is primarily focused on political history, however, the reader will also find chapters devoted to Uruguayan culture.
Este libro es resultado de los proyectos de investigación Programa de desarrollo de las áreas cie... more Este libro es resultado de los proyectos de investigación Programa de desarrollo de las áreas científicas en la Universidad Carolina: No. 12. La Historia desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria. Subprograma Europa y (versus) el mundo: Transferencias políticas, económicas, sociales, culturales e intelectuales, inter e intracontinentales y RM 07/02/11 Checoslovaquia y América Latina apoyado por los recursos financieros del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República Checa para la investigación.
La diplomacia cultural de los países europeos comunistas en Buenos Aires a través del cine durante las décadas de 1950 y 1960, 2024
The study analyses the cultural diplomacy of communist countries in Argentina through... more The study analyses the cultural diplomacy of communist countries in Argentina through cinema, paying special attention to the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia during the 1950s and 1960s. Through the press of the time and interviews, it describes circulation and promotion circuits, chiefly centered around the local distributor Artkino. It also details the quantitative impact of these films in Buenos Aires cinemas. This research offers a contribution to the analysis of the re-percussions of communist propaganda in Argentine society in the dec-ades mentioned above and, at the same time, shows the interest and challenges of the cultural diplomacy of communist countries towards Argentina during the Cold War.
Czechoslovakia and its Position within the Solidarity Network of Chilean Communism: A Reflection on the Coup and Resistance against Pinochet from a Country with Worn-out Revolutionary Ideals, 2023
The article will analyse the development of the Chilean cause in the politics of Eastern Europe c... more The article will analyse the development of the Chilean cause in the politics of Eastern Europe countries since 1973, focusing on the Czechoslovak case. On the one hand, it will prove that during the communist government Czechoslovakia played an important role in the international campaign for the resistance against the dictatorship at a worldwide level. On the other hand, it posits that the propaganda aimed at Czechoslovakia, which sought to kindle society's belief in the revolutionary ideals strongly affected after the Soviet invasion in 1968, turned out to be much less effective.
Objetivo/Contexto: este artículo analiza varios factores que, en la primera mitad de los años ses... more Objetivo/Contexto: este artículo analiza varios factores que, en la primera mitad de los años sesenta, ayudaron a establecer el vínculo entre Vivian Trías, el destacado intelectual y político uruguayo, que se definía a sí mismo como latinoamericanista y tercerista y que se distanciaba explícitamente del mundo comunista y de la Seguridad del Estado (StB), el servicio secreto de Checoslovaquia subordinado a los intereses del servicio de inteligencia soviético, kgb. Metodología: el análisis se basa, principalmente, en fuentes del archivo de la inteligencia checoslovaca que, a su vez, se complementan con textos publicados por Trías. Originalidad: por medio del análisis del caso concreto del tercerismo uruguayo, que tuvo una repercusión mayor en el socialismo, la investigación presenta una nueva mirada a los desafíos que generó el acercamiento cubano-soviético en la izquierda no comunista latinoamericana, y revaloriza el papel de los servicios secretos de los países comunistas en la Guerra Fría latinoamericana. Conclusiones: en 1961, a partir de la proclamación de Castro sobre el carácter marxista-leninista de la Revolución cubana, la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas (urss) empezó a ser considerada por algunos sectores del tercerismo —incluido Trías— como una potencia capaz de defender los pueblos del Tercer Mundo contra la agresión estadounidense, y ya no como una forma de imperialismo, como lo proclamaban anteriormente. Aunque la relación soviético-cubana estuvo marcada por grandes tensiones, los checoslovacos fueron un importante aliado del gobierno de Castro, donde la StB operaba como un mediador entre los soviéticos y actores ideológicamente heterogéneos, que, a su vez, mostraban cierta simpatía por la Revolución cubana. Así, el reclutamiento de Trías por la StB en 1964 resultó ser una gran coincidencia de intereses mutuos orientados a limitar la influencia estadounidense en América Latina.
Vivian Trías, a prominent Latin American intellectual and leader of the Uruguayan Socialist Party... more Vivian Trías, a prominent Latin American intellectual and leader of the Uruguayan Socialist Party, was an agent of the Czechoslovak State Security Service (StB), the intelligence agency in communist Czechoslovakia. Through a critical analysis of the Czech archives, this article seeks to explain why Trías, who defined himself as a Latin Americanist and tercerista in the Cold War, developed this link with one of the Soviet Bloc countries. The article suggests that solidarity with Cuba and anti-imperialism were the central points through which this collaboration was consolidated.
Los servicios secretos del Bloque Soviético y sus aliados en América Latina: el Partido Colorado ... more Los servicios secretos del Bloque Soviético y sus aliados en América Latina: el Partido Colorado y el Partido Nacional en los planes de la inteligencia checoslovaca en Uruguay Resumen: El estudio analiza las actividades de los servicios secretos de la Checoslovaquia comunista en Uruguay durante la primera mitad de los años 60. A diferencia de los debates que han surgido sobre este tema y que se han enfocado casi exclusivamente en la figura de Vivian Trías y en el Partido Socialista, este texto se centra en la conexión de los espías checoslovacos con el Partido Colorado y el Partido Nacional. El estudio presenta los objetivos de los servicios secretos comunistas y sus métodos de trabajo en América Latina, a través del análisis del vínculo con las figuras políticas Glauco Segovia y Héctor Gros Espiell. Abstract: The study analyzes the activities of the secret services of the communist Czechoslovakia in Uruguay during the first half of the 1960s. Unlike the debates that have arisen on this subject and which have focused almost exclusively on the figure of Vivian Trías and on the Socialist Party, this text focuses on the connection of the Czechoslovak spies with the Colorado Party and the National Party. The study presents the objectives of the communist secret services and their working methods in Latin America, through the analysis of the link with the political figures Glauco Segovia and Héctor Gros Espiell.
This article relates the intriguing story of Chateau Dobříš, a meeting place in Czechoslovakia fo... more This article relates the intriguing story of Chateau Dobříš, a meeting place in Czechoslovakia for Latin American intellectuals during the late 1940s and1950s. Based primarily on the contemporary testimonies of selected authors and their memoirs, the study describes this little known chapter in cultural relations between Latin America and eastern Europe. At that time, Chateau Dobříš, which was administered by the Union of Czechoslovak Writers, played a significant role in the cultural scene of Latin America. It was here that Jorge Amado, Pablo Neruda, Nicolás Guillén, and other luminaries came into contact with one another and started friendships with their European colleagues. At the same time, the chateau became a place in which some of Latin America’s luminaries met for the very first time, because the political situation in their own countries made it impossible to do so otherwise. The experience at Chateau Dobříš was therefore an important phase for Latin American writers. By analyzing this phenomenon, this article aims to contribute to the investigation of “New Cold War History” and our understanding of the Communist cultural politics during the era.
This study analyses the journeys of Latin American intellectuals to Eastern Europe in order to cl... more This study analyses the journeys of Latin American intellectuals to Eastern Europe in order to clarify hitherto unknown links with the region. The focal period is the decade of 1947–1956, which was characterised by the great enthusiasm leftist intellectuals felt towards the Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist block. The first part of the study presents individual written testimonies. These are put into perspective with regard to the role Latin American intellectuals played within the framework of communist propaganda and their relations with international organizations. Special attention is paid to the organization of these journeys, and to the way they contributed to the development of contacts with intellectuals in Eastern Europe. The third part of the study provides an analysis of the discourse of such texts. On the one hand, it is argued that the texts served the political needs of the time, and that their artistic value is disputable. On the other hand, the texts are remarkable testimonies of the period, one in which the connection with Eastern Europe contributed significantly to the “internationalisation” of Latin American artists. This was reflected in the increasing number of translated works of the authors, invitations to various conferences, or international prizes awarded to Latin American artists. One of the major benefits of the testimonies is the fact that they describe the contacts established between Latin American and European intellectuals. It is rather paradoxical that the first reunion of prominent Latin American figures took place in Eastern Europe. In Latin America, where leftist intellectuals were frequently subjected to persecution, such meetings would not have been possible.
The study analyzes the policy of Czechoslovakia towards the military regimes of Ar-gentina, Chile... more The study analyzes the policy of Czechoslovakia towards the military regimes of Ar-gentina, Chile and Uruguay in the 1970s and 1980s. The presentations of the military regimes in the Czechoslovak media are compared, by means of archival documents, to the practical policy of Prague towards these three countries. The analysis of the Czechoslovak position gives an unequivocal answer to the question why the Soviet Bloc states were taking completely different approaches to each of these antagonistic regimes characterized by massive violations of human rights. The policy of the Soviet Bloc was driven by pragmatic interests and the violations of human rights were thus reflected particularly in terms of communist propaganda so as to avoid possible negative economic consequences.
Las reflexiones checoslovacas del golpe El exilio chileno en Checoslovaquia El Servicio Latinoame... more Las reflexiones checoslovacas del golpe El exilio chileno en Checoslovaquia El Servicio Latinoamericano de Radio Praga La importancia de las organizaciones internacionales Chile en el espacio público checoslovaco 4. Relaciones después de 1989 Formación de nuevos cimientos El legado de la solidaridad chilena en una sociedad poscomunista Conexión cultural checo-chilena Bajo el signo del multilateralismo Conclusión Momentos importantes en las relaciones checo-chilenas
Michal Zourek / la visión de checoslovaquia en los testiMonios latinoaMericanos (1948-1968): desd... more Michal Zourek / la visión de checoslovaquia en los testiMonios latinoaMericanos (1948-1968): desde los elogios al estalinisMo a la crítica de las condiciones capitalistas 11 Michal Zourek La visión de Checoslovaquia en los testimonios latinoamericanos (1948-1968): desde los elogios al estalinismo a la crítica de las condiciones capitalistas 1 Introducción Después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial podemos observar un aumento significativo del número de intelectuales latinoamericanos que visitaron el «misterioso» mundo tras de la Cortina del Hierro. 1 Algunos realizaron visitas de un par de días, mientras que otros se quedaron por más tiempo, ya fuera por trabajo o por la obtención de asilo político. Las motivaciones eran diferentes. Esto dio lugar a decenas de testimonios, en muchos casos olvidados, entre cuyos autores encontramos también algunas de las voces más destacadas de la literatura mundial (Rupprecht, 2015; Alburquerque, 2011). El estudio se centra en los textos dedicados a Checoslovaquia, país que, dentro del Bloque del Este, tenía una posición especial en varios aspectos (Zourek, 2014, 26-27). Debido a razones geográficas y logísticas, la capital checoslovaca no solo contaba con una gran cantidad de organizaciones internacionales, sino que también fue sede de muchos congresos. Por lo tanto, la mayoría de los visitantes que se dirigían a Moscú como destino principal, lo hacían desde el aeropuerto de Praga. Este es otro de los motivos por los que disponemos de más testimonios latinoamericanos sobre Checoslovaquia que sobre otros satélites (Zourek, 2019). El período analizado lo representan los primeros veinte años del gobierno comunista en Checoslovaquia, es decir, el período entre 1948 y 1968. Durante la primera década de posguerra la simpatía de los intelectuales de izquierda por la Unión Soviética alcanzó su máximo esplendor (Sirinelli, Ory, 2007; Judt, 2011). El XX Congreso del Partido Comunista de la URSS celebrado en febrero de 1956, en el que Nikita Khrushchev habló abiertamente sobre los crímenes del estalinismo y la sangrienta invasión en Hungría, que tuvo lugar en otoño del mismo año, simbolizan el fin de una etapa.
The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American intellectuals on the subject... more The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American intellectuals on the subject of their visits to Prague. It combines the genres of scientific study and annotated edition. The chosen period of 1947-1959 was defined by the beginning of the Cold War and by the Cuban Revolution. After World War II, the sympathies of left-wing intellectuals towards the Soviet Union reached its peak. After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world. The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Prague. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors. The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non-Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American
intellectuals on the subject... more The book presents and analyzes written testimonies of Latin American intellectuals on the subject of their visits to Communist Czechoslovakia. It combines the genres of scientific study and annotated edition. The chosen period of 1947–1959 was defined by the beginning of the Cold War and by the Cuban Revolution. After World War II, the sympathies of left‑wing intellectuals towards the Soviet Union reached its peak. After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world. The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies, most of which are being published in Czech for the first time. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Czechoslovakia. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown in the Czech environment. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors. The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non‑Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
This book, through literature and archival sources, analyses the historical development of Urugua... more This book, through literature and archival sources, analyses the historical development of Uruguay, the smallest Spanish-speaking country of South America. It builds on previous work by Czech authors dedicated to Uruguayan issues, as well as deals with many aspects of the country´s political and cultural life which have not yet been addressed in the Czech Republic. The work retains the standard breakdown of the book series “A Brief History of States”. In addition to the chronological development of the country, the text is supplemented by a brief overview of Czech-Uruguayan relations, encyclopaedic information, basic information for tourists, the most important words and phrases, and an overview of Uruguayan presidents.
The actual history is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the pre-Columbian period, colonization and the wars for independence. The future residents of the independent state had very limited impact on its establishment. The country effectively came into being as a result of diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing Argentina and Brazil gaining overall control of the strategically important area of the Río de la Plata estuary. The second chapter analyses the issues of the 19th century when Uruguay was an unstable, war-torn country, in which its citizens lacked national awareness. The third chapter is devoted to the early 20th century when Uruguay undertook fundamental reforms which made it a democratic and prosperous country. At that time, the government proudly described Uruguay as the Switzerland of Latin America. Its football team went on to win several titles at the Olympic Games and World Championships. The fourth chapter describes the gradual disillusionment of the Uruguayan nation as a result of the turbulent period between the economic crisis of the 1930´s and the end of the civil-military dictatorship in the mid-1980´s. The final chapter looks at the developments in Uruguay since the restoration of democracy in 1985, up to the present day, when the leftist coalition Broad Front (Frente Amplio) succeeded in winning the presidential election for the third time in a row. The interpretation is primarily focused on political history, however, the reader will also find chapters devoted to Uruguayan culture.
Este libro es resultado de los proyectos de investigación Programa de desarrollo de las áreas cie... more Este libro es resultado de los proyectos de investigación Programa de desarrollo de las áreas científicas en la Universidad Carolina: No. 12. La Historia desde una perspectiva interdisciplinaria. Subprograma Europa y (versus) el mundo: Transferencias políticas, económicas, sociales, culturales e intelectuales, inter e intracontinentales y RM 07/02/11 Checoslovaquia y América Latina apoyado por los recursos financieros del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de la República Checa para la investigación.
La diplomacia cultural de los países europeos comunistas en Buenos Aires a través del cine durante las décadas de 1950 y 1960, 2024
The study analyses the cultural diplomacy of communist countries in Argentina through... more The study analyses the cultural diplomacy of communist countries in Argentina through cinema, paying special attention to the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia during the 1950s and 1960s. Through the press of the time and interviews, it describes circulation and promotion circuits, chiefly centered around the local distributor Artkino. It also details the quantitative impact of these films in Buenos Aires cinemas. This research offers a contribution to the analysis of the re-percussions of communist propaganda in Argentine society in the dec-ades mentioned above and, at the same time, shows the interest and challenges of the cultural diplomacy of communist countries towards Argentina during the Cold War.
Czechoslovakia and its Position within the Solidarity Network of Chilean Communism: A Reflection on the Coup and Resistance against Pinochet from a Country with Worn-out Revolutionary Ideals, 2023
The article will analyse the development of the Chilean cause in the politics of Eastern Europe c... more The article will analyse the development of the Chilean cause in the politics of Eastern Europe countries since 1973, focusing on the Czechoslovak case. On the one hand, it will prove that during the communist government Czechoslovakia played an important role in the international campaign for the resistance against the dictatorship at a worldwide level. On the other hand, it posits that the propaganda aimed at Czechoslovakia, which sought to kindle society's belief in the revolutionary ideals strongly affected after the Soviet invasion in 1968, turned out to be much less effective.
Objetivo/Contexto: este artículo analiza varios factores que, en la primera mitad de los años ses... more Objetivo/Contexto: este artículo analiza varios factores que, en la primera mitad de los años sesenta, ayudaron a establecer el vínculo entre Vivian Trías, el destacado intelectual y político uruguayo, que se definía a sí mismo como latinoamericanista y tercerista y que se distanciaba explícitamente del mundo comunista y de la Seguridad del Estado (StB), el servicio secreto de Checoslovaquia subordinado a los intereses del servicio de inteligencia soviético, kgb. Metodología: el análisis se basa, principalmente, en fuentes del archivo de la inteligencia checoslovaca que, a su vez, se complementan con textos publicados por Trías. Originalidad: por medio del análisis del caso concreto del tercerismo uruguayo, que tuvo una repercusión mayor en el socialismo, la investigación presenta una nueva mirada a los desafíos que generó el acercamiento cubano-soviético en la izquierda no comunista latinoamericana, y revaloriza el papel de los servicios secretos de los países comunistas en la Guerra Fría latinoamericana. Conclusiones: en 1961, a partir de la proclamación de Castro sobre el carácter marxista-leninista de la Revolución cubana, la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas (urss) empezó a ser considerada por algunos sectores del tercerismo —incluido Trías— como una potencia capaz de defender los pueblos del Tercer Mundo contra la agresión estadounidense, y ya no como una forma de imperialismo, como lo proclamaban anteriormente. Aunque la relación soviético-cubana estuvo marcada por grandes tensiones, los checoslovacos fueron un importante aliado del gobierno de Castro, donde la StB operaba como un mediador entre los soviéticos y actores ideológicamente heterogéneos, que, a su vez, mostraban cierta simpatía por la Revolución cubana. Así, el reclutamiento de Trías por la StB en 1964 resultó ser una gran coincidencia de intereses mutuos orientados a limitar la influencia estadounidense en América Latina.
Vivian Trías, a prominent Latin American intellectual and leader of the Uruguayan Socialist Party... more Vivian Trías, a prominent Latin American intellectual and leader of the Uruguayan Socialist Party, was an agent of the Czechoslovak State Security Service (StB), the intelligence agency in communist Czechoslovakia. Through a critical analysis of the Czech archives, this article seeks to explain why Trías, who defined himself as a Latin Americanist and tercerista in the Cold War, developed this link with one of the Soviet Bloc countries. The article suggests that solidarity with Cuba and anti-imperialism were the central points through which this collaboration was consolidated.
Los servicios secretos del Bloque Soviético y sus aliados en América Latina: el Partido Colorado ... more Los servicios secretos del Bloque Soviético y sus aliados en América Latina: el Partido Colorado y el Partido Nacional en los planes de la inteligencia checoslovaca en Uruguay Resumen: El estudio analiza las actividades de los servicios secretos de la Checoslovaquia comunista en Uruguay durante la primera mitad de los años 60. A diferencia de los debates que han surgido sobre este tema y que se han enfocado casi exclusivamente en la figura de Vivian Trías y en el Partido Socialista, este texto se centra en la conexión de los espías checoslovacos con el Partido Colorado y el Partido Nacional. El estudio presenta los objetivos de los servicios secretos comunistas y sus métodos de trabajo en América Latina, a través del análisis del vínculo con las figuras políticas Glauco Segovia y Héctor Gros Espiell. Abstract: The study analyzes the activities of the secret services of the communist Czechoslovakia in Uruguay during the first half of the 1960s. Unlike the debates that have arisen on this subject and which have focused almost exclusively on the figure of Vivian Trías and on the Socialist Party, this text focuses on the connection of the Czechoslovak spies with the Colorado Party and the National Party. The study presents the objectives of the communist secret services and their working methods in Latin America, through the analysis of the link with the political figures Glauco Segovia and Héctor Gros Espiell.
This article relates the intriguing story of Chateau Dobříš, a meeting place in Czechoslovakia fo... more This article relates the intriguing story of Chateau Dobříš, a meeting place in Czechoslovakia for Latin American intellectuals during the late 1940s and1950s. Based primarily on the contemporary testimonies of selected authors and their memoirs, the study describes this little known chapter in cultural relations between Latin America and eastern Europe. At that time, Chateau Dobříš, which was administered by the Union of Czechoslovak Writers, played a significant role in the cultural scene of Latin America. It was here that Jorge Amado, Pablo Neruda, Nicolás Guillén, and other luminaries came into contact with one another and started friendships with their European colleagues. At the same time, the chateau became a place in which some of Latin America’s luminaries met for the very first time, because the political situation in their own countries made it impossible to do so otherwise. The experience at Chateau Dobříš was therefore an important phase for Latin American writers. By analyzing this phenomenon, this article aims to contribute to the investigation of “New Cold War History” and our understanding of the Communist cultural politics during the era.
This study analyses the journeys of Latin American intellectuals to Eastern Europe in order to cl... more This study analyses the journeys of Latin American intellectuals to Eastern Europe in order to clarify hitherto unknown links with the region. The focal period is the decade of 1947–1956, which was characterised by the great enthusiasm leftist intellectuals felt towards the Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist block. The first part of the study presents individual written testimonies. These are put into perspective with regard to the role Latin American intellectuals played within the framework of communist propaganda and their relations with international organizations. Special attention is paid to the organization of these journeys, and to the way they contributed to the development of contacts with intellectuals in Eastern Europe. The third part of the study provides an analysis of the discourse of such texts. On the one hand, it is argued that the texts served the political needs of the time, and that their artistic value is disputable. On the other hand, the texts are remarkable testimonies of the period, one in which the connection with Eastern Europe contributed significantly to the “internationalisation” of Latin American artists. This was reflected in the increasing number of translated works of the authors, invitations to various conferences, or international prizes awarded to Latin American artists. One of the major benefits of the testimonies is the fact that they describe the contacts established between Latin American and European intellectuals. It is rather paradoxical that the first reunion of prominent Latin American figures took place in Eastern Europe. In Latin America, where leftist intellectuals were frequently subjected to persecution, such meetings would not have been possible.
The study analyzes the policy of Czechoslovakia towards the military regimes of Ar-gentina, Chile... more The study analyzes the policy of Czechoslovakia towards the military regimes of Ar-gentina, Chile and Uruguay in the 1970s and 1980s. The presentations of the military regimes in the Czechoslovak media are compared, by means of archival documents, to the practical policy of Prague towards these three countries. The analysis of the Czechoslovak position gives an unequivocal answer to the question why the Soviet Bloc states were taking completely different approaches to each of these antagonistic regimes characterized by massive violations of human rights. The policy of the Soviet Bloc was driven by pragmatic interests and the violations of human rights were thus reflected particularly in terms of communist propaganda so as to avoid possible negative economic consequences.
The journal Problems of Peace and Socialism (in the English version World Marxist Review) was pub... more The journal Problems of Peace and Socialism (in the English version World Marxist Review) was published in Prague between 1958 and 1990 and was distributed to dozens of countries in many language editions and it thus featured an important bond between the Communist parties across the continents. The objective of the study is to analyze the position of the Latin American issues in the frame of the journal during the first decade of its operation marked by a number of ideological conflicts within the world’s left wing. The analysis is based on the premise that this was a specific period of relative freedom when it was possible to publish the articles polemizing the Soviet line of Marxism-Leninism. The first part is devoted to the presentation of the journal and a description of its structure with emphasis on the position of the Latin American parties. The following parts deal with the very production of the Latin American representatives published in the journal. The study is supplemented with a list of articles associated with the problems of Latin America which were published in the years 1958–1968.
The aim of this study is to analyse the economic relationship between Czechoslovakia and Argentin... more The aim of this study is to analyse the economic relationship between Czechoslovakia and Argentina in the period 1945–1955 via archival documents. At the end of World War II Czechoslovakia was unable to recover the positions it had established in Latin America in the 1920´s and 1930´s. The increasing influence of Russia on Czechoslovakian foreign policy and the incipient Cold War drastically limited Czechoslovakian opportunities. In addition, the relationship with Argentina was rather specific within the region. On the one hand, the country was of key financial importance and commanded massive surpluses that were required by the Czechoslovakian economy (wool, raw leather, meat, tannin, fodder, corn, plant oils, etc.). On the other hand, there was Juan Domingo Perón´s political regime whose foreign-political line was to seek ever greater autonomy from the USA. Despite the mutual antagonism between both regimes, Peronist Argentina became one of the Czechoslovakia´s largest non-European markets. As a matter of fact, Czechoslovakia implemented a large number of major orders in the country, of which the distillery in San Nicolás was the most significant. At that time it was to be the largest distillery in the world.
This article analyzes the policy of the Eastern Bloc towards Chile from 1973 to 1980, using the e... more This article analyzes the policy of the Eastern Bloc towards Chile from 1973 to 1980, using the example of Czechoslovakia. The documents from Czech archives and the literature from that period show the complexity of this policy as well as its transformation. Although Czechoslovakia suspended diplomatic relations with Chile in September 1973, it sought to maintain its position in the country. Apart from the economic importance, another reason was the possible legalization of Czechoslovak intelligence agents. Furthermore, the coup d’état was well reflected in Czechoslovak society, as the people received an unprecedented amount of information about Chile.
The study analyses cultural relations between Argentina and Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. T... more The study analyses cultural relations between Argentina and Czechoslovakia during the Cold War. The chapters, divided into decades, describe the most important events aimed at the presentation of Czechoslovak culture in Argentina and Argentine culture in Czechoslovakia. The emphasis is also placed on the political context. Well aware of the fact that the good reputation of Czechoslovak culture could be used to promote its political and economic interests, Prague developed an active interest in cultural cooperation already in the mid-1950s. However, as Argentina’s aims were limited almost exclusively to economic relations, cultural agreements between the countries were only signed in the late 1980s. Until then, cultural relations had developed at commercial level. Czechoslovak music and film were renowned in Argentina. In Czechoslovakia, Argentina was famous mainly for its literature.
El estudio se dedica al análisis de los informes elaborados entre los años 1973 y 1980 por la est... more El estudio se dedica al análisis de los informes elaborados entre los años 1973 y 1980 por la estación de Checoslovaquia en Santiago de Chile. Estos documentos resultan claves para dar una reflexión crítica de este período, hasta hoy día muy poco conocido, de las relaciones mutuas. El trabajo intenta presentar no solo los intereses checoslovacos en el país, sino, a la vez, presta atención a la colaboración con el servicio secreto de Alemania Oriental cuyo objetivo era el apoyo a los comunistas chilenos.
This article analyzes the political and economic relations between Czechoslovakia and the militar... more This article analyzes the political and economic relations between Czechoslovakia and the military regimes of Argentina (1976-1983), Uruguay (1973-1985) and Chile (1973-1989). Given the significant influence of the Soviet Union on Czechoslovakia’s foreign policy during this period, the author also discusses Moscow's policy towards these countries and discusses why Moscow adopted different approaches towards them despite their apparent similarities. He argues that Czechoslovakia's relations - and those of the USSR - with the three Latin American countries were entirely guided by pragmatic interests.
Michal Zourek, Praga y los intelectuales latinoamericanos (1947-1959), Prohistoria Ediciones, Ro... more Michal Zourek, Praga y los intelectuales latinoamericanos (1947-1959), Prohistoria Ediciones, Rosario, 2019, 308 pp. - Historia & Cultura, 18 ÍNDICE, INTRODUCCIÓN, CAPÍTULO 1
Este libro propone un acercamiento original y muy cuidado a un aspecto preciso de nuestra historia cultural latinoamericana. Combinando el género de estudio científico con el de la edición anotada, su autor presenta y analiza testimonios escritos de trece intelectuales latinoamericanos (García Márquez, Neruda, Amado, Guillén, entre otros) sobre sus visitas a Praga.
Los textos seleccionados y analizados reflejan el imaginario comunista de la época. Su tono, fuertemente politizado, no obstaculiza sin embargo el vertido de una valiosa información sobre Checoslovaquia y sobre los intelectuales sobre sí mismos.
La obra constituye tanto un exquisito ejemplo de historia de los intelectuales tanto como la construcción un valioso corpus para analizar la imagen del otro, tanto como un gran aporte para el estudio de las relaciones entre Europa del Este y América Latina durante el siglo XX.
Objetivo/Contexto: este artículo analiza varios factores que, en la primera mitad de los años ses... more Objetivo/Contexto: este artículo analiza varios factores que, en la primera mitad de los años sesenta, ayudaron a establecer el vínculo entre Vivian Trías, el destacado intelectual y político uruguayo, que se definía a sí mismo como latinoamericanista y tercerista y que se distanciaba explícitamente del mundo comunista y de la Seguridad del Estado (StB), el servicio secreto de Checoslovaquia subordinado a los intereses del servicio de inteligencia soviético, kgb. Metodología: el análisis se basa, principalmente, en fuentes del archivo de la inteligencia checoslovaca que, a su vez, se complementan con textos publicados por Trías. Originalidad: por medio del análisis del caso concreto del tercerismo uruguayo, que tuvo una repercusión mayor en el socialismo, la investigación presenta una nueva mirada a los desafíos que generó el acercamiento cubano-soviético en la izquierda no comunista latinoamericana, y revaloriza el papel de los servicios secretos de los países comunistas en la Guerra Fría latinoamericana. Conclusiones: en 1961, a partir de la proclamación de Castro sobre el carácter marxista-leninista de la Revolución cubana, la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas (urss) empezó a ser considerada por algunos sectores del tercerismo —incluido Trías— como una potencia capaz de defender los pueblos del Tercer Mundo contra la agresión estadounidense, y ya no como una forma de imperialismo, como lo proclamaban anteriormente. Aunque la relación soviético-cubana estuvo marcada por grandes tensiones, los checoslovacos fueron un importante aliado del gobierno de Castro, donde la StB operaba como un mediador entre los soviéticos y actores ideológicamente heterogéneos, que, a su vez, mostraban cierta simpatía por la Revolución cubana. Así, el reclutamiento de Trías por la StB en 1964 resultó ser una gran coincidencia de intereses mutuos orientados a limitar la influencia estadounidense en América Latina.
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Books by Michal Zourek
After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world. The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to
the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Prague. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors. The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non-Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
intellectuals on the subject of their visits to Communist Czechoslovakia. It combines the genres of scientific study and annotated edition. The chosen period of 1947–1959 was defined by the beginning of the Cold War and by the Cuban Revolution. After World War II, the sympathies of left‑wing intellectuals towards the Soviet Union reached its peak. After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world.
The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies, most of which are being published in Czech for the first time. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Czechoslovakia. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown in the Czech environment. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors.
The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non‑Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
The actual history is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the pre-Columbian period, colonization and the wars for independence. The future residents of the independent state had very limited impact on its establishment. The country effectively came into being as a result of diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing Argentina and Brazil gaining overall control of the strategically important area of the Río de la Plata estuary. The second chapter analyses the issues of the 19th century when Uruguay was an unstable, war-torn country, in which its citizens lacked national awareness. The third chapter is devoted to the early 20th century when Uruguay undertook fundamental reforms which made it a democratic and prosperous country. At that time, the government proudly described Uruguay as the Switzerland of Latin America. Its football team went on to win several titles at the Olympic Games and World Championships. The fourth chapter describes the gradual disillusionment of the Uruguayan nation as a result of the turbulent period between the economic crisis of the 1930´s and the end of the civil-military dictatorship in the mid-1980´s. The final chapter looks at the developments in Uruguay since the restoration of democracy in 1985, up to the present day, when the leftist coalition Broad Front (Frente Amplio) succeeded in winning the presidential election for the third time in a row. The interpretation is primarily focused on political history, however, the reader will also find chapters devoted to Uruguayan culture.
Papers by Michal Zourek
with regard to the role Latin American intellectuals played within the framework of communist propaganda and their relations with international organizations. Special attention is paid to the organization of these journeys, and to the way they contributed to the development of contacts with intellectuals in Eastern Europe. The third part of the study provides an analysis of the discourse of such texts. On the one hand, it is
argued that the texts served the political needs of the time, and that their artistic value is disputable. On the other hand, the texts are remarkable testimonies of the period, one in which the connection with Eastern Europe contributed significantly to the “internationalisation” of Latin American artists. This was reflected in the increasing number of translated works of the authors, invitations to various conferences, or
international prizes awarded to Latin American artists. One of the major benefits of the testimonies is the fact that they describe the contacts established between Latin American and European intellectuals. It is rather paradoxical that the first reunion of prominent Latin American figures took place in Eastern Europe. In Latin America, where leftist intellectuals were frequently subjected to persecution, such meetings
would not have been possible.
After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world. The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to
the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Prague. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors. The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non-Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
intellectuals on the subject of their visits to Communist Czechoslovakia. It combines the genres of scientific study and annotated edition. The chosen period of 1947–1959 was defined by the beginning of the Cold War and by the Cuban Revolution. After World War II, the sympathies of left‑wing intellectuals towards the Soviet Union reached its peak. After 1956, in connection with revelations regarding Stalin’s cult of personality, there was a noticeable change towards sobriety and disillusionment. For many Latin American intellectuals, Cuba became the new symbol of social justice and belief in a better world.
The introductory chapters put the selected testimonies into historical context. They deal with the role the intellectuals played in communist propaganda, discourse analysis, and the specific position occupied by Czechoslovakia. This Central European country was an important transit centre, an imaginary bridge between the Soviet Union and Western Europe. At the same time, it was a significant meeting point for Latin American intellectuals and their European colleagues. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the intellectuals themselves and their written testimonies, most of which are being published in Czech for the first time. Each of the texts is preceded by a study dedicated to the presentation of its author, with an emphasis on their ties to Czechoslovakia. The thirteen intellectuals presented include greats from the world literature, such as Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, Jorge Amado and Nicolás Guillén, as well as other intellectuals who are almost unknown in the Czech environment. The final chapter analyzes the subsequent reflections of the individual authors.
The texts presented reflect communist imagination at that time. To a great extent, they reflect how the socialist camp wanted to present itself abroad, i.e. as an advanced, altruistic region that was ready to support and achieve a non‑Western way of development that would allow for rapid modernization, whereby negative factors were set aside. Despite strong politicisation, the texts provide valuable information about Czechoslovakia and the intellectuals themselves. It is a significant contribution to exploring the image of the “other”, which is very common in various branches of modern historiography, as well as an important source for the study of relations between Central and Eastern Europe and the Latin American world.
The actual history is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the pre-Columbian period, colonization and the wars for independence. The future residents of the independent state had very limited impact on its establishment. The country effectively came into being as a result of diplomatic negotiations aimed at preventing Argentina and Brazil gaining overall control of the strategically important area of the Río de la Plata estuary. The second chapter analyses the issues of the 19th century when Uruguay was an unstable, war-torn country, in which its citizens lacked national awareness. The third chapter is devoted to the early 20th century when Uruguay undertook fundamental reforms which made it a democratic and prosperous country. At that time, the government proudly described Uruguay as the Switzerland of Latin America. Its football team went on to win several titles at the Olympic Games and World Championships. The fourth chapter describes the gradual disillusionment of the Uruguayan nation as a result of the turbulent period between the economic crisis of the 1930´s and the end of the civil-military dictatorship in the mid-1980´s. The final chapter looks at the developments in Uruguay since the restoration of democracy in 1985, up to the present day, when the leftist coalition Broad Front (Frente Amplio) succeeded in winning the presidential election for the third time in a row. The interpretation is primarily focused on political history, however, the reader will also find chapters devoted to Uruguayan culture.
with regard to the role Latin American intellectuals played within the framework of communist propaganda and their relations with international organizations. Special attention is paid to the organization of these journeys, and to the way they contributed to the development of contacts with intellectuals in Eastern Europe. The third part of the study provides an analysis of the discourse of such texts. On the one hand, it is
argued that the texts served the political needs of the time, and that their artistic value is disputable. On the other hand, the texts are remarkable testimonies of the period, one in which the connection with Eastern Europe contributed significantly to the “internationalisation” of Latin American artists. This was reflected in the increasing number of translated works of the authors, invitations to various conferences, or
international prizes awarded to Latin American artists. One of the major benefits of the testimonies is the fact that they describe the contacts established between Latin American and European intellectuals. It is rather paradoxical that the first reunion of prominent Latin American figures took place in Eastern Europe. In Latin America, where leftist intellectuals were frequently subjected to persecution, such meetings
would not have been possible.
ÍNDICE, INTRODUCCIÓN, CAPÍTULO 1
Este libro propone un acercamiento original y muy cuidado a un aspecto preciso de nuestra historia cultural latinoamericana. Combinando el género de estudio científico con el de la edición anotada, su autor presenta y analiza testimonios escritos de trece intelectuales latinoamericanos (García Márquez, Neruda, Amado, Guillén, entre otros) sobre sus visitas a Praga.
Los textos seleccionados y analizados reflejan el imaginario comunista de la época. Su tono, fuertemente politizado, no obstaculiza sin embargo el vertido de una valiosa información sobre Checoslovaquia y sobre los intelectuales sobre sí mismos.
La obra constituye tanto un exquisito ejemplo de historia de los intelectuales tanto como la construcción un valioso corpus para analizar la imagen del otro, tanto como un gran aporte para el estudio de las relaciones entre Europa del Este y América Latina durante el siglo XX.