The New Latin American Left , livre ebook

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THE NEW LATIN AMERICAN LEFTBarrett 00 Prelims.qxd 31/07/2008 14:41 Page ii
Transnational Institute
Founded in 1974, the Transnational Institute (TNI) is an international
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The NetherlandsBarrett 00 Prelims.qxd 31/07/2008 14:41 Page iii
The New Latin
American Left
Utopia Reborn
Edited by Patrick Barrett, Daniel Chavez
and César Rodríguez-GaravitoBarrett 00 Prelims.qxd 31/07/2008 14:41 Page iv
First published 2008 by Pluto Press
345 Archway Road, London N6 5AA
www.plutobooks.com
Copyright © Patrick Barrett, Daniel Chavez and César Rodríguez-Garavito 2008
The right of the individual contributors to be identified as the authors of this work has been
asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 0 7453 2639 9 Hardback
ISBN 978 0 7453 2677 1 Paperback
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data applied for
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and
sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to
conform to the environmental standards of the country of origin. The paper may contain up
to 70 per cent post-consumer waste.
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Printed and bound in the European Union by
CPI Antony Rowe, Chippenham and EastbourneBarrett 00 Prelims.qxd 31/07/2008 14:41 Page v
CONTENTS
Acronyms and other terms viii
Preface and acknowledgements xv
1. Utopia reborn? Introduction to the study of the new
Latin American left 1
César Rodríguez-Garavito, Patrick Barrett
and Daniel Chavez
Significance and origins of the ‘new’ left 5
Characteristics of the new Latin American left 12
Between neo-liberalism and democracy 17
The actors on the new left: movements, parties and
governments 31
Structure of the book 37
Notes 39
2. Brazil. Lula’s government: a critical appraisal 42
Félix Sánchez, João Machado Borges Neto and
Rosa Maria Marques
The rise of the PT to government 43
Lula’s economics 48
Agrarian and social policies 53
Brazil’s insertion into the globalised economy 58
The results of the 2006 elections and beyond 62
Lula’s government: a leftist government? 64
Notes 68
3. Venezuela. Populism and the left: alternatives to
neo-liberalism 69
Edgardo Lander
The pact of Punto Fijo and the left 69
The prolonged crisis of puntofijismo 71
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CONTENTS
Populism and the left in the chavista project 76
Representative democracy and participatory democracy 79
Alternatives to neo-liberalism: the economic model 83
The Venezuelan process in the regional and
international context 90
Electoral processes and the future of the Bolivarian
revolution 93
Notes 97
4. Uruguay. The left in government: between continuity
and change 99
Daniel Chavez
The unification and rise of the left 100
The left in government: the experience of Montevideo 104
From the electoral project to the political project 110
Economic policy: the ongoing debate 120
Reviving utopia? 125
Notes 127
5. Colombia. The new left: origins, trajectory and prospects 129
César Rodríguez-Garavito
Antecedents and factors behind the emergence of
the new left 131
Evolution and composition of the new left 140
The proposals of the left 148
Conclusion: the prospects of the new left 154
Notes 157
6. Argentina. The left, parties and movements:
strategies and prospects 158
Federico L. Schuster
A brief history of the Argentine left 158
Society and politics during the crisis 162
The political legacy of the crisis 168
The political left, social movements and institutional
reorganisation 171
Possible strategies and future prospects 178
Notes 184
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CONTENTS
7. Mexico. Yearnings and utopias: the left in the third
millennium 186
Armando Bartra
Genealogy 186
Cartographies 198
Directions 210
8. Bolivia. The left and the social movements 215
Luis Tapia
A brief history of the Bolivian left in the twentieth century 215
The contemporary left in Bolivia 219
The proposals of the contemporary left 224
The linkage of social movements and parties 226
Conclusion: prospects and strategies of the new left 227
Notes 231
9. Promises and challenges. The Latin American left
at the start of the twenty-first century 232
Atilio A. Boron
Challenging la pensée unique 232
The paradoxical crisis of neo-liberalism 233
Why now? 236
The curse of conservative ‘possibilism’ 242
The difficult transition to post-neo-liberalism 246
The left and democracy 248
Historical challenges of the left at the beginning
of the new century 251
10. Depolarised pluralities. A left with a future 255
Boaventura de Sousa Santos
The phantasmagorical relation between theory and practice 255
The twenty-first century left 259
Unproductive questions 263
Productive questions 266
Conclusion: a left with a future 271
Bibliography 273
Index 289
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ACRONYMS AND OTHER TERMS
AD Acción Democrática (Democratic Action, Venezuela)
AD–M-19 Alianza Democrática M-19 (M-19 Democratic
Alliance, Colombia)
ADN Acción Democrática Nacionalista party (Nationalist
Democratic Action, Bolivia)
ALBA Alternativa Bolivariana para la América (Bolivarian
Alternative for the Americas)
ANAPO Alianza Nacional Popular (National Popular
Alliance, Colombia)
APC Alianza Patriótica para el Cambio (Patriotic Alliance
for Change, Paraguay)
ARENA Aliança Renovadora Nacional (National Renovation
Alliance, Brazil)
CARICOM Caribbean Community
CCC Corriente Clasista y Combativa (Militant and
Classbased Current, Argentina)
CCZ Centro Comunal Zonal (District Communal Centre,
Uruguay)
CGT Confederação Geral do Trabalho (General Labour
Confederation, Brazil); Confederación General del
Trabajo (General Workers’ Confederation, Argentina)
CND Convención Nacional Democrática (National
Democratic Convention, Mexico)
CNI Congreso Nacional Indígena (National Indigenous
Congress, Mexico)
CNTE Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la
Educación (National Co-ordinator of Education
Workers, Mexico)
Cocopa Comision de Concordia y Pacificación (Commission
of Concordance and Peace, Mexico)
CONAIE Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Ecuador)
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ACRONYMS AND OTHER TERMS
Conamup Coordinadora Nacional del Movimiento Urbano
Popular (National Coordinator of Popular Urban
Movements, Mexico)
COPEI Comité de Organización Política Electoral
Independiente (Committee of Independent Electoral Political
Organisations, Venezuela)
CNDAV Comisión Nacional en Defensa. del Agua y de la
Vida. (National Commission in Defence of Water
and Life, Uruguay)
CNPA Coordinadora Nacional del Plan Ayala (National
Co-ordinator of the Ayala Plan, Mexico)
COB Central Obrera Boliviana (Bolivian Workers’
Confederation)
CR Causa R (Radical Cause, Venezuela)
CSUTCB Confederación Sindical Única de Trabajadores
Campesinos de Bolivia (Confederation of Peasant
Workers’ Unions of Bolivia)
CTA Central de Trabajadores Argentinos (Confederation
of Argentine Workers)
CTV Confederación de Trabajadores de Venezuela
(Confederation of Venezuelan Workers)
CUT Central Unica dos Trabalhadores (Unified Workers’
Confederation, Brazil,); Central Unitaria de
Trabajadores (Unitary Workers’ Confederation; Colombia)
EBR 200 Ejército Bolivariano Revolucionario (Revolutionary
Bolivarian Army 200)
ELN Ejército de Liberación Nacional (Army of National
Liberation, Colombia)
EP Encuentro Progresista (Progressive Encounter,
Uruguay)
EP-FA/NM Encuentro Progresista-Frente Amplio/Nueva Mayoría
(Progressive Encounter-Broad Front/New Majority,
Uruguay)
EPL Ejército Popular de Liberación (People’s Army of
Liberation, Colombia)
ERP Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo (People’s
Revolutionary Army, Argentina)
EU European Union
EZLN Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista
National Liberation Army, Mexico)
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ACRONYMS AND OTHER TERMS
FA Frente Amplio (Broad Front, Uruguay)
FAR Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (Armed
Revolutionary Forces, Argentina)
FARC Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia
(Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia)
FDN Frente Democrático Nacional (National Democratic
Front, Mexico)
FEDECAMARAS Federación de Cámaras de Comercio y Producción
(Federation of Chambers of Commerce and of
Production, Venezuela)
FHC Fernando Henrique Cardoso
FNAP Frente Nacional de Acción Popular (National Front
for Popular Action, Mexico)
FNT Fórum Nacional do Trabalho (National Labour
Forum, Brazil)
FORA Federación Obrera Regional Argentina (Regional
Workers Federation of Argentina)
FREPASO Frente País Solidario (Front for a Country of
Solidarity, Argentina)
FSLN Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (Sandinista
National Liberation Front, Nicaragua)
FSP Frente Social y Político (Social and Political Front,
Colombia)
FTA free trade agreement
FTAA Free Trade Area of the Americas
FTV Federación por la Tierra, la Vivienda y el Hábitat
(Land, Housing and Habitat Federation, Argentina)
FV Frente para la Victoria (Front for Victory