Solidarity with the Dominican Republic from the left-wing and Christian Democratic Chilean youth (1965-1966)

Abstract

The solidarity of the left with the countries in which the United States intervened during the context of the Cold War can be found in various places and times. These intrusions, considered by them as part of the North American imperialist project, were fought by making calls for solidarity with those regions, with marches, publishing opinion columns, editorials and even creating newspapers or magazines, among others. In this line of argument are the calls to show solidarity with the Dominican Republic - after the United States settled there in April 1965 with the argument of stopping the advance of communism in that country - made by leftist groups from various parts of the world, even from North America. Among the Latin American countries that voiced these exhortations, Chile was prominent, with various voices advocating for solidarity against North American imperialism in the Dominican Republic, particularly from communist and Christian Democratic youth movements. This article argues that, during this struggle, these youth movements gained greater strength and presence in the national political arena. However, their manifestation of differing viewpoints on the concrete actions the government should undertake in response to the events ultimately prevented them from uniting and working collaboratively.