Heretics And Renegades? Diaspora Of The Chilean Communist Dissent (1989-1994)

Abstract

This paper joins the most recent debates on the historiography of communism, trying to nuance prevailing views on the character and makeup of communist membership. It analyzes the internal crisis undergone by Chile ́s Communist Party in 1990, with special emphasis on those sectors who deviated from the official positions held by the party’s leadership. In the context of the downfall of “really existing socialisms”, and the failure of its attempt to bring down the Pinochet dictatorship through a popular insurrection, this political grouping, a major actor within the 20th century Chilean Left, entered a crisis that threatened its very existence. From this article’s stand point, the communist dissidence emerged out of various historical and political roots, highlighting the fallacy of picturing communist parties as monolithic and homogeneous entities. Moreover, the roots of the political capital of those leaders who steered the internal debate, along with the outcome of this confrontation, were pivotal factors for an understanding of the course adopted by Chile’s Communist Party during the 1990s and 2000s.

Keywords: Communism- socialism – political dissent – membership – political capital.