Falangists and Francoists in Brazil

Even among the Spanish immigrant population, the Spanish “Nationalist” movement did not have many supporters in Brazil who were prepared to defend Franco’s cause. In a letter to Francisco Franco, Julio González Germade, a member of the Spanish Nationalist Union, stated that about 90 per cent of the 350,000 Spaniards residente in Brazil supported the “reds”. It is likely that such claims did not have any statistical support, but they testify to the difficulties facing those who sympathized with the rebels in trying to gain support among the Spanish community. 

The immigrants who supported the rebels had two main organizations: the Spanish Nationalist Union and the Official Nationalist Committee in Brazil (JONEEB).  That their leaders were divided further undermined their efforts. They may have been unable to win over large numbers of supporters, but they were successful in one area: raising Money to send to the population of Francoist Spain. Some very wealthy people - both Brazilians and members of immigrant communities – gave generously to the Francoist cause.  One of them was the Count of Matarrozo, the Italian owner of the powerful industries that bore his name. He did not hide his sympathies for Italian Fascism, and he donated to the Francoist cause. 

The Falange Española came to represent the hopes of those who were anti-Republican and supported the monarchy, Franco, or Nazi-Fascist ideas. Its activities were also banned by Decree-Law 383 of 1938, but they were not so closely watched as were the “reds”. The file on the party created by the São Paolo political police contains only a single document that delas with a lunch at the city’s Olympia attended by 150 people. The marginal note “searches are unnecessary” indicates the favourable treatment the police gave to those who acted as their allies in the fight against subversive ideas. 

Some Falangists were known to the police as “collaborators” because they had denounced their pro-Republican compatriots, who they accused of being communists. Their confidence that the political police was their ally in the goal of “eradicating the red menace” was born when Nationalist sympathizers saw that the political projects of Vargas and Franco had similarities.  

Following Brazil’s rupture with the Axis in January 1942, the political police began to pay more attention to the Falange’s activities, since from that moment on, the embassy of Spain had taken charge of German interests in Brazil. According to Allan Chase’s book, The Axis’ Secret War in Brazil, the Falange had served as a secret arm of the Axis on the continent during World War II.