By: Ricardo Abud
The world is undergoing profound transformations and a dizzying redistribution of power.
After the fall of the Third Reich in 1945, numerous Nazi Party officers and members escaped international justice through the so-called "rat routes." Countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Chile became havens where these war criminals could settle and live peacefully without answering for their atrocities.
One of the most disconcerting phenomena of our era is the historical distortion that has allowed some perpetrators to be elevated as heroes while those who fought against Nazism are forgotten. This distortion of the historical narrative represents a dangerous precedent.
The collective memory of those who sacrificed their lives to stop the Nazi machine is gradually fading. Millions of Soviet soldiers, European partisans, and resistance fighters who gave their lives for freedom become footnotes in history books, while controversial figures receive honors and recognition.
Josef Mengele, the infamous "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz, lived for decades in South America until his death in Brazil in 1979. Adolf Eichmann, one of the main organizers of the Holocaust, built a new life in Argentina until his capture by Israeli agents in 1960. These examples illustrate how Latin America became a sanctuary for those who participated in one of the darkest episodes in human history.
The most worrying thing is that many of these fugitives did not abandon their ideologies. On the contrary, they continued to promote their beliefs, sowing ideological seeds that decades later would find fertile ground in new generations.
Today we see the consequences of this unresolved history. The resurgence of neo-Nazi groups, the manifestations of racial hatred, and the homages paid to figures and symbols associated with that ideology reflect an alarming inversion of values. While the executioners of the past receive honors and recognition—as exemplified, for some critics, by the case of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accused of glorifying nationalist figures with dark pasts, such as Stepan Bandera—the role of the true heroes who fought against fascism is minimized, those who sacrificed their lives to defeat Nazism are increasingly forgotten. The heroic tale of those who fought to save the world from one of humanity's worst nightmares fades amid indifference and the self-serving rewriting of history.
The case of Ukraine is particularly worrying. There, certain movements and battalions, some with ultranationalist symbolism and rhetoric, have been integrated into the military and political apparatus, sparking heated international debate. But the phenomenon is not limited to Ukraine: even in Poland, a country that suffered brutally under Nazi occupation, not to mention the Baltic countries, nationalist expressions can be observed that sometimes dangerously flirt with xenophobic and authoritarian stances.Meanwhile, those who gave their lives to liberate the world from the Nazi scourge—Soviet soldiers, partisans, concentration camp victims—are systematically forgotten or even vilified in the current historical narrative.
In countries like Ukraine and Poland, regions that suffered severely under Nazi occupation, movements have paradoxically emerged that revive aesthetic and ideological elements of Nazism. In Ukraine, groups like the Azov Battalion have been singled out for using symbols linked to Nazi organizations.
This phenomenon does not occur in a vacuum. The complex history of Eastern Europe, marked by successive occupations and ethnic conflicts, has created a fertile ground for the emergence of extreme nationalisms, which, in some cases, find inspiration in fascist ideologies of the past.
This revival of Nazism is no coincidence: it responds to geopolitical interests seeking to rewrite history, whitewash collaborators, and demonize those who fought them.
The resurgence of neo-Nazi ideologies is not unique to Eastern Europe. In the United States, Western Europe, and other regions of the world, groups promoting white supremacy and ultranationalism are gaining followers, particularly among young people disenchanted with traditional political systems.
The digital age has provided these extremist ideologies with platforms to spread globally. Online forums, social media, and encrypted messaging platforms facilitate radicalization and the recruitment of new members.
Faced with this resurgence, historical vigilance becomes imperative. Democratic societies must strengthen their educational systems to ensure that new generations fully understand the horrors of Nazism and its consequences.
Historical memory is not a nostalgic exercise, but a fundamental tool to avoid repeating past mistakes. In a world where power is rapidly redistributed, the commitment to democratic and humanist values must remain firm as a barrier against ideologies that promote hatred and division.
The fight against fascism did not end in 1945; it mutated, adapted, and now seeks to legitimize itself under new masks. We must remember the victims, honor the true heroes, and relentlessly denounce any attempt to rehabilitate this criminal ideology. It is a continuous battle that each generation must wage in its own way. Remembering those who gave their lives fighting Nazism and keeping the memory of its victims alive is our collective responsibility in these times of global transformation.
Historical justice demands that the crimes of Nazism never be forgotten, nor its executioners glorified. The future depends on our ability to learn from the past and uncompromisingly combat any resurgence of this evil.
The world is, therefore, at a decisive moment. The transformation of the global order is not only played out in terms of the economy, arms, or technology, but also in symbolic and moral terms. The way we remember the past and confront attempts to rehabilitate Nazism will define the type of civilization we want to build. Ignoring these signs would be a historic mistake with incalculable consequences.
Note: Russia celebrates the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945 and the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). This day is one of the most important and emotional dates in Russia, symbolizing the heroic resistance of the Soviet people against fascism and the enormous sacrifice that victory cost (an estimated 27 million Soviet people died).
PS, I am a faithful witness (during all my years of study in the USSR) of how wonderful this day was in the former Soviet Union, today Russia, how significant this date is, and the message to the world: we cannot allow Nazism to be resurrected in any of its forms, neither in Western Europe nor anywhere else in the world.
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