The “Friends of the USSR” movement in Argentina: VOKS and Soviet cultural diplomacy in Latin America, 1920s–1930s

In the 1920s, the Soviet Union set out to establish relations with the hostile capitalist world through its foreign policy institutions. The All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS), founded in 1925, was intended as a key instrument for shaping international public opinion in favour of the USSR. It sought to create a global network of friendship societies that would promote Soviet achievements and organise campaigns in its defence. VOKS primarily targeted “class fellow travelers” – intellectuals and academics – expanding Soviet influence through culture and science. In Latin America, several “Friends of the USSR” societies emerged, the most significant of which was the Argentine Society. Functioning as a de facto representative of VOKS, it sought to establish a presence among intellectuals and students while maintaining a stance of political neutrality. However, this approach conflicted with the Argentine Communist Party, which viewed the Society as its “section for cultural work”, contradicting VOKS’s official line. This article analyses the policies of VOKS in Argentina, highlighting its tensions with the Communist Party in the struggle for influence over cultural and humanitarian initiatives. It also examines how these conflicts undermined the efforts of both VOKS and the Soviet state – represented in Argentina by Yuzhamtorg – to develop economic, social, and cultural ties with the country.