When the USSR conquers imperialist interests and Mexico’s reactions to her putative sons

José Chávez Morado Mexican
Raúl Anguiano Mexican
Publisher Taller de Gráfica Popular, Mexico City Mexican

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This complicated political caricature broadly refers to the 1939 Winter War in Europe and its repercussions in Mexico. At left a heroic Russian soldier confronts European political leaders (Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Édouard Daladier, and Leon Trotsky) and grips a broken umbrella that symbolizes Finland, whose tiny army took on the mighty Soviet force. A confused Hitler holds his head while the League of Nations, pictured as a barking dog, menaces him after the Nazis invaded Poland. The woman at right embodies imperialism, and the parrots screaming, "Communists," at two workers represent conservative Mexican newspapers. The text below criticizes the Mexican press, describing its members as "putative sons" in wordplay that is intentionally close to hijos de puta (sons of whores).



Esta complicada caricatura política hace referencia a la guerra de Invierno de 1939 y a sus repercusiones en México. A la izquierda, un heroico soldado ruso planta cara a varios líderes políticos europeos (Neville Chamberlain, Benito Mussolini, Édouard Daladier y León Trotski) y sujeta un paraguas roto que simboliza a Finlandia, cuyo diminuto ejército se enfrentó a las poderosas fuerzas soviéticas. Un confuso Hitler se lleva la mano a la cabeza mientras la Sociedad de las Naciones, representada como un perro que ladra, lo amenaza tras la invasión nazi de Polonia. La mujer de la derecha encarna al imperialismo, y los loros que gritan «Comunistas» a dos obreros aluden a los periódicos conservadores mexicanos. El texto que aparece debajo critica a la prensa mexicana y describe a sus miembros como «hijos putativos» en un juego de palabras intencionadamente cercano a «hijos de puta».

When the USSR conquers imperialist interests and Mexico’s reactions to her putative sons, José Chávez Morado (Mexican, 1909–2002), Lithograph on buff paper back with linen

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