Walt Disney en América Latina – La diplomacia cultural interamericana durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial

Abstract

Walt Disney in Latin America – Inter-American Cultural Diplomacy during World War II
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy sought to improve relations between the countries of the Americas. The legendary filmmaker Walt Disney was commissioned to make a goodwill tour of Latin America in search of inspiration for films about the region. He and his group met with politicians and artists, researched local cultures and personally experienced the region’s society, geography and wildlife. As a result of these experiences, Latin America became the setting for two Disney films in the 1940s (Saludos Amigos, Los Tres Caballeros). The aim of this article is to describe the key role played by Walt Disney and his cartoon characters in the transformation of inter-American relations, looking at both the positive results and the negative evaluations of this mission.