The turn to the left in Latin America: A post-liberal politics?

Abstract

When Hugo Chavez was elected president of Venezuela the left governed only in one other country, Cuba. Since then, there has been a tectonic shift in Latin American politics. Left-of-center coalitions are now in office in more than half a dozen countries and many observers speak of a pink wave or left turns in the region. This article seeks to shed some light on this process. It outlines criteria of theoretical and practical reason to address what it means to speak of the left in this juncture and looks at ways of characterizing its resurgence. Winning elections is the undisputed benchmark to assess the left turns. It is also restrictive because the ongoing changes in the region seem to go beyond the fortunes of short-term coalitions. This is why I propose to supplement the standard benchmark with additional criteria. The main one is the success of the left in redefining the parameters of the political and ideological center. In the final section, I focus on what I see as the most innovative aspect of these turns, namely, their challenge to the conventionally liberal understanding of politics. A post-liberal political scenario is emerging as actors experiment with various formats and sites of engagement alongside the liberal sphere of electoral representation. It is not a Manichean either/or situation; ongoing insurgencies are weary of liberal politics but are nonetheless contaminated by them. My conclusion is that we are bound to see more rather than less hybridity in this post-liberal scenario.

Key words: left politics, Latin America, post-liberal politics.