The Latin American psychoanalytic movement from its beginning to the present has had to overcome the geographical, language, communicational and political obstacles of the continent. Isolated from one another, the individual psychoanalytic communities have nevertheless succeeded in obtaining adequate communication at a continental level, although not internationally. In this brief overview we will try only to outline some historical, organizational and scientific aspects of psychoanalysis in Latin America.
Historical: Psychoanalysis came to Latin America mainly from Europe. The ports of call were Brazil and Argentina. In Brazil the epicenter was Sao Paulo. The Sociedade Brasileira de Psicanalise of Sao Paulo was founded in 1929 and its Institute of Psychoanalysis in 1937. Dr. Adelheid Koch and Dr. Durval Marcondes were early promoters of psychoanalysis in Brazil. Durval Marcondes said in 1967 in his opening speech at the First Brazilian Meeting of Psychoanalysis: “The Brazilian psychoanalytical movement was born and emerged from the inspiration of Sigmund Freud. In the letter he sent to me in 1926, he mentioned the marvelous reward that the path of psychoanalysis could bring to us all.”
Argentina followed after Sao Paulo, and has had the distinction of training psychoanalysts from other Latin American countries who later on participated in the formation of associations in their own countries. Angel Garma was the pioneer after he estabished his residence in Buenos Aires following his arrival from Europe. He analyzed Doctors Enrique J. Pichon Riviere, Arnaldo Raskowsky and Celes Ernesto Carcamom, and in 1939 the second psychoanalytic group in Latin America was founded in Argentina. The Argentinian Psychoanalytic Association was founded in 1942 and its Institute of Psychoanalysis in 1943.
After these two initial psychoanalytical organizations the following were formed: in 1949, the Chilean Association; in 1955, the Sociedade Psicanalitica do Rio de Janeiro and the Association of Uruguay; in 1957, the Mexican Association; in 1959, the Sociedade Brasileira do Rio de Janeiro; in 1961, the Colombian Society; in 1963, the Society of Porto Alegre; in 1969, the Venezuelan Association; and in 1977, the most recent one, the Association of Buenos Aires. Argentina and Mexico currently have Psychoanalytic Study Groups in Ciudad Mendoza and Monterray, respectively.
Only eight Latin American countries have psychoanalysts. Central America has none, although we have started organizing in Costa Rica. In South America, since 1967, the four societies of Brazil form the Brazilian Association of Psychoanalysis. Argentina has two Associations and a Study Group, and its members constitute 40 percent of COPAL. In North America, Mexico has one Association and one Study Group.
The first journal on psychoanalysis, which was of the Argentinian Association, was issued in 1943. That edition, in the Presentation-Editorial section read: “We thank the Munoz Foundation … for the development in Argentina and in the Spanish speaking countries of a science so important for its social characteristics as is psychoanalysis.” The Brazilian Journal of Psychoanalysis appeared for the first time in 1928, but it was limited to the first number. In 1967, when the Journal was issued again, it showed on the front page the letter that Freud wrote to Durval Marcondes. Also, it is worthwhile to mention that in addition to the Brazilian and Argentinian journals, we have journals from Uruguay, Colombia, “Cuadernos de Mexico”, “Ide de Sao Paulo”, “Correo de COPAL”, and several Brazilian publications.
Organizational: The 14 psychoanalytical associations already mentioned form part of the “Consejo-Coordinador de las Asociaciones Psiconanaliticas de America Latina” (COPAL). Its birth took place in Chile in 1960 and its first president and main promoter was Dr. Arnaldo Raskowsky. COPAL now has approximately 600 Latin American members, including analysts and candidates. COPAL has held 12 Latin American Congresses. The last one took place in Mexico, where for the first time in history a Chief of State—in this case the President of the Mexican Republic—inaugurated the Psychoanalytic Congress. The goals of COPAL are, according to its bylaws, the stimulation of the psychoanalytic movement in and out of Latin America, following the IPA's norms, and also scientific training and interchange among its members.
Scientific Work: We tried to gather data from a survey from all the member Organizations. Only Uruguay, Colombia and Mexico supplied information, which we have summarized as follows: among many other subjects, analysts in Uruguay have worked on identification, idealization, object relations, feminine development, psycholinguistics, group illness, child analysis, aging, silence in sessions, the roots of conscience and memory. Colombia is working on problems of character analysis, psychosomatic illness, analytic theory, the role of conscience in the neagtive counter-transference, education in the analytic situation, depersonalization, guilt, mourning and creativity. In Mexico, we have been working on the theory of the psychoanalytic technique, the first psychoanalytic hour, termination of psychoanalysis, regression in the analytic process, fantasy and reality in contemporary man, analysis of historic personages, the human couple and borderline personalities. This, of course, is a very incomplete view of what is being done presently in these countries. However, the scientific output is impressive: it is published mainly in psychoanalytic journals and presented and discussed at local, regional, continental and international congresses.
Final Comments: Psychoanalysis in Latin America is a kaleidoscope of psychoanalytic theory, but we all are unified in an exhaustive reading of Freud's works that begins at the institutes of psychoanalysis. The Latin psychoanalysts in addition to their practices are also found teaching at universities, working in hospitals and at centers of human behavior. They are also interested in applying psychoanalytic knowledge to other therapies such as psychodrama, families and couples. The Latin American psychoanalysts, idealistic in their human demands and expectations, have combined their emotions and talent in the service of the clinically and socially useful area of psychoanalysis.
Fernando Cesarman and Antonio Santamaria
Members of the Mexican Psychoanalytic Association