until its 1976 geneva congress, the socialist international had few members outside europe and no formal involvement with latin america. in the 1980s, most si parties gave their backing to the nicaraguan sandinistas (fsln), whose left-wing government had incited hatred from the united states. since then, the si has admitted as member-parties not only the fsln but also the centre-left puerto rican independence party, as well as the ex-communist parties such as the italian democrats of the left (democratici di sinistra (ds)) and the front for the liberation of mozambique (frelimo).