2025/01/02 by Georgina Marcela Pagola Rodríguez, Yong‐an Zhang · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Communism, Protests, Social Movements #Japanese History and Culture #Political and Social Dynamics in Chile and Latin America
paper · doi:10.1080/27708888.2025.2481380
openalex publication_date 2025/01/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/14
During the Sixties, amid the ideological strife of the global Cold War, the Communist Party of China (CPC) pursued People’s Diplomacy, a foreign policy aimed at deepening cultural exchanges with regions like Latin America to expand its global influence. Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano, a prominent figure of the New Left and critic of imperialism, traveled to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in September 1963. His subsequent book, China 1964: Crónica de un Desafío, captured his experiences and furnished positive images of the PRC, aligning with the CPC’s objectives in its struggle against revisionism. This article uses Galeano’s journey as a case study to explore the cultural exchanges between the PRC and Uruguay, set against the backdrop of the Global Sixties. It argues that Galeano’s travelogue not only provided a window into the PRC for Latin American readers but also offered a nuanced perspective that transcended the binary East-West dichotomy, reflecting a more complex understanding of the PRC’s role in the world. Drawing on primary sources, including Galeano’s writings and Chinese officials’ perceptions, this research offers a unique analysis of Galeano’s experience, highlighting the complexities and nuances of cultural diplomacy during a pivotal era in international relations.