Student Response to Uncle Sam's Influence in Chile

by Kelly Mahoney

Overview

Printed in Santiago, Chile, the text at the top of this poster reads, “The anti-imperialist union is the tactic and the strategy of victory”. It is dated May 13-19th, 1973. An estimated four months after this poster would have been printed, the infamous CIA-backed coup in Chile took place on September 11, 1973, putting a halt on the anti-imperialist movement in Chile for the foreseeable future.

Context

The United States had been actively involved in trying to influence politics in Chile throughout the early 1970s. Fearful of a successful socialist state in South America, President Richard Nixon leveraged the CIA to delegitimize and eventually overthrow the country's democratically-elected president, Salvador Allende. Knowledge of U.S. interference in Chilean politics was not unknown to the Chilean people. This fear and distrust of the U.S., for some, is represented in this political poster. Along with the text, this poster shows the United States as an imperial power, one that must be stopped in order for there to be victory in Chile.

Characters

This poster features three characters: a domineering faceless man, a small girl, frightened and looking up at him, and a small boy, smiling as he has just lit a fuse in the back pocket of the leering man. This tall figure is the most prominent figure in the poster. With his striped hat, it is clear to the viewer that he represents the United States of America, specifically Uncle Sam. The iconic image of Uncle Sam is known globally from the ‘I want you for the U.S. Army’ posters which lined U.S. streets throughout World War One. Fixed on top of his head in those posters is a striped red and white hat, identifying him as the iconic American figure of Uncle Sam. On this poster, however, the Uncle Sam character has a claw-like hand and is looming in a threatening manner over the small girl. A far cry from the U.S. symbol of patriotism and freedom, this Uncle Sam is a menacing adversary that must be stopped.

Color

The only color showcased in this poster can be found in the sticks of dynamite and lit fuse. As the only color, the red captures the viewer's attention, drawing them in. What might be seen as violent, however, is dampened as the viewer notices the smile on the face of the small boy who has lit the fuse. If we are to interpret the dynamite as a tactic, then we can assume the boy lighting it is a member of the anti-imperialist movement. As described by the superimposed text, the creator of this poster believes that the anti-imperialist movement is not only a tactic against the United States, but it is seen as what is needed to deliver victory for Chile. Interestingly, while red could have been used to color Uncle Sam, or other colors could have been used in general throughout the poster, the creator only leveraged red on the sticks of dynamite and fuse. Again, this reinforces the significance of tactics. How people, specifically the anti-imperialist movement, may leverage violence or other strategies, to achieve victory.