Social movements and state power : Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador / James Petras, Henry Veltmeyer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Petras, James F., 1937-

Contributor:

Veltmeyer, Henry.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political participation--Latin America--Case studies.

Political participation.

Social movements--Latin America--Case studies.

Social movements.

Argentina--Politics and government--2002-.

Argentina.

Brazil--Politics and government--1985-2002.

Brazil.

Bolivia--Politics and government--1982-2006.

Bolivia.

Ecuador--Politics and government--1984-.

Ecuador.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 274 pages)

Place of Publication:

London ; Ann Arbor, Mich. : Pluto Press, 2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The 2003 electoral victory of Lucio Gutierrez in Ecuador was met with the same sense of optimism that greeted the election of Ignacio 'Lula' da Silva in Brazil, and Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Gutierrez's victory was viewed as a major advance for the country in its 500 year-long struggle for freedom and democracy. In Bolivia, Evo Morales similarly came within an electoral whisker of achieving state power in 2002, and in 2003 Nestor Kirchner became President of Argentina. Many journalists , academics and politicians speak of a "left-turn" in Latin America, characterizing these regimes as "center -left";. They came to power on the promise of delivering a fundamental change of direction that would steer their countries away from neo-liberal economic policies, and towards greater social equity. Their success awakened major hopes on the Left for a new dawn in Latin American politics. This book challenges these assumptions. It critically examines their agreements with the IMF, their social and economic policies, and the economic ties of leading policy makers, as well as the beneficiaries and losers under these regimes. Latin America is unique in that it has experienced two decades of popular resistance to neo-liberal policies: each of the four countries examined here has a rich history of diverse indigenous and working class movements coming together to promote radical political change. The authors examine the political dynamics between the state and its agenda, and the strategy of mass mobilisation taken by the mass movements. They explore the intensifying conflicts between the movements and their former allies in the state.

Contents:

Bad government, good governance : civil society versus social movements

From popular rebellion to 'normal capitalism' in Argentina

Lula and the dynamics of a neoliberal regime

Social movements and state power in Ecuador

The politics of adjustment, reform, and revolution in Bolivia

Social movements and the state : political power dynamics in Latin America.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786611750862

9781849642842

1849642842

9781281750860

1281750867

9781435662582

143566258X

OCLC:

655867903