Samba with fascism: Ação Integralista Brasileira and its relations with the New State of Getúlio Vargas

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the rise of fascism in Brazil, focusing on the most important fascist movement in Latin America: Ação Integralista Brasileira (AIB). Additionally, the article analyses the ties between the New State of Getúlio Vargas and the AIB, pointing out the complex and conflicted relations that exist between authoritarian dictatorships, on the one hand, and fascist movements on the other. The creation of the AIB situated fascist political culture in an elevated position in the Brazilian political scene. At the same time, the integralists sought to differentiate themselves from the European form of fascism. In this sense, this study also highly relevant in that it can reveal the political commonalities between European and Latin American fascist movements, as well as the importance of fascist ideology as a source of inspiration or as a political point of reference for other dictatorships or anti-liberal movements.