The Pink Tide in Latin America

An Overview
By Monica De Santiago

Politically, Latin America has experienced many shifts.  During the 1970s, many Latin American countries from Chile to Argentina had military regimes.  During this period, leaders such as Velasco Ibarra and General Guillermo Rodriguez Lara ruled Ecuador.  Military rule in Ecuador ended in 1979, and the country became more democratic and followed many of the neoliberal policies that took hold in Latin America throughout the 1980s and 1990s.  Now in the 21st century, many Latin American countries are ruled by leftist (or left-of-center) governments.  It is important to note that these leftist governments are different from the governments and ideology that were considered to be “left” in Eastern Europe during the Cold War.  It is also important to understand that it is not possible to characterize all of these new governments under the same umbrella except to say that these governments differ from traditional parties.  According to Mabel Moraña, these leftist governments generally employ:

  • Substitution of institutional—electoral—means to reach power for armed struggles.
  • Substitution of the rhetoric of social justice for the discourse of class struggle.
  • Considerable opposition to privatization but, at the same time adoption of conciliatory attitudes toward a market economy, and general acceptance of the conditions necessary for economic integration, both regionally and globally.
  • Revitalization of the principle of national sovereignty and attempts, within that framework, to strengthen the role of the State as an agent of social transformation. (Moraña, 33-34)

Ecuador has followed this trend with the election of Rafael Correa who openly demonstrates “21st century socialism” in his policies and is close friends with Evo Morales of Bolivia and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela – two of the more radical leaders in recent Latin American leaders.

 

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Bibliography:

Albarran, Alan.  The Handbook of Spanish Language Media.  New York: Routledge, 2009.

This book explores the state of the media in several Latin American countries dedicating a chapter to each country.  The chapter on Ecuador discusses the relationship between the government and the media, as well as, focusing on each sector (radio, press, television) individually.  In addition, the second half of the book explores other issues such as advertising in Latin America.

Conaghan, Catherine M. “ECUADOR: CORREA’S PLEBISCITARY PRESIDENCY.” Journal of Democracy 19, no. 2 (April 2008): 47-60. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed May 6, 2010).

This article focuses on President Rafael Correa’s first term in office.  Topics that are covered include Correa’s election campaign and his call for a new assembly.

Moraña, Mabel. “NEGOTIATING THE LOCAL: THE LATIN AMERICAN “PINK TIDE” OR WHAT’S LEFT FOR THE LEFT?.” Canadian Journal of Latin American & Caribbean Studies 33, no. 66 (November 2008): 31-41. SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost.

This article discusses the trend of leftist governments in Latin American countries.  It distinguishes the difference between various leftist governments and offers insight into their possibilities for longevity.