La diffusione del fascismo fra gli italiani in Cile e i rapporti bilaterali fra Roma e Santiago (1930-1945)

The scholarly debate has widely highlighted how, during the fascist regime, Italy tried to use emigrants in Latin America as a tool to enhance the Italian projection in the region, especially in those countries with a longstanding and widespread presence of Italian immigrants. Schools, associations, cultural centres and the Italian-language press were massively used for this purpose. This was also the case in Chile, despite the small size of the Italian community compared to those in neighbouring countries. This article aims at assessing the development of the presence of Italian Fascism in Chile in the context of the political and diplomatic relations between the two countries from Mussolini’s rise to power to the end of the Second World War. In particular, it will examine the role of associations and the press as instruments of propaganda and support for Rome’s foreign policy, the diplomatic corps of the two countries and the fascistation of the Italo-Chilean community.