Militant Roots: The Anti-Fascist Left in the Caribbean Basin, 1945-1954

Abstract

This article examines the birth of a militant left in the Caribbean Basin before the Cuban Revolution. Following the Second World War, various anti-dictatorial exiles tapped into anti-fascist ideals and networked with likeminded allies and influential democratic leaders. This Legión Caribethreatened the regimes of the Dominican Republic’s Rafael Trujillo, Nica-ragua’s Anastasio Somoza, Honduras’s Tiburcio Carías, and others. From the Costa Rican Civil War through the Guatemalan Revolution, the Legiónwaged a regional battle over democracy and dictatorship while contributing to the rise of Fidel Castro.