Latin America’s First Socialist Parties

Introduction for a multi-part unit on the first socialist parties that developed in the southern cone of South America in the early 20th century: the Socialist Party of Argentina, the Socialist Party of Uruguay, and the Socialist Workers Party of Chile. Why did these parties emerge around the turn of the century? What were the main strategic and organizational dilemmas that they faced? Why was it so difficult to build a viable socialist party in Latin America on the basis of working-class support alone, and how did these three parties seek to compensate for their thin support among the working class?