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The Last Day of Oppression, and the First Day of the Same: The Politics and Economics of the New Latin American Left
In this penetrating volume, Jeffery Webber charts the political dynamics and conflicts underpinning the contradictory evolution of left-wing governments and social movements in Latin America in the last two decades.*BR**BR*Throughout the 2000s, Latin America transformed itself into the leading edge of anti-neoliberal resistance in the world. But what is left of the Pink Tide today? What are the governments' relationships to the explosive social movements that first propelled them to power? And as China's demand for Latin American commodities slackens, is there a viable economic strategy based on continued natural resource extraction?*BR**BR*Webber approaches these questions through an analysis of capitalist accumulation from 1990 to 2015 in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela. He explains these countries' patterns of inequality through a decolonial Marxist framework, rooted in a new understanding of class and its complex associations with racial and gender oppression. He also discusses indigenous and peasant resistance to the expansion of private mining, agro-industry and natural gas and oil activities. The book concludes with chapters on 'passive revolution' in Bolivia under Evo Morales and debates around dual power and class composition during the era of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2017
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About the author
Jeffery R. Webber
14 books15 followersDr Jeffery Webber is a Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary U. Previously he held an Assistant Professor position in Political Science at the University of Regina, Canada. He has also been a Visiting Research Fellow at the Facultad Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Quito, Ecuador, the Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo Laboral y Agrario (CEDLA) and Centro Boliviano de Estudios Multidisicplinarios (CEBEM) in La Paz, Bolivia, and the International Institute for Research and Education in Amsterdam.
Over the last few years, he has been invited to speak on Latin American Politics, international relations, and social theory at a number of universities across Europe, North America, and Latin America. Dr Webber's PhD is from the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto. His dissertation was entitled “Red October: Left-Indigenous Struggles in Modern Bolivia.”
His research interests cut across the disciplines of politics, sociology, international relations, history, and anthropology, with a focus on the following themes: Latin American Political Economy; the Latin American Left (Theory, History, and Practice); Marxism; Imperialism, Hegemony, Empire and Globalisation; Colonialism and Counter-Colonial Struggles; Social Movements, Rebellion, and Revolution; Historical Sociology; and International Political Economy.
Over the last few years, he has been invited to speak on Latin American Politics, international relations, and social theory at a number of universities across Europe, North America, and Latin America. Dr Webber's PhD is from the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto. His dissertation was entitled “Red October: Left-Indigenous Struggles in Modern Bolivia.”
His research interests cut across the disciplines of politics, sociology, international relations, history, and anthropology, with a focus on the following themes: Latin American Political Economy; the Latin American Left (Theory, History, and Practice); Marxism; Imperialism, Hegemony, Empire and Globalisation; Colonialism and Counter-Colonial Struggles; Social Movements, Rebellion, and Revolution; Historical Sociology; and International Political Economy.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 18, 2017
This is a great resource for understanding the state of Latin American politics and economics. It provides a clear and appropriate analysis, dispelling myths, and reinforcing necessary praise as needed. My only complaint is that it toes the line of being academically stuffy; a little redundant, and bloated at times. However, that didn't prevent me from staying engaged. I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone with the slightest familiarity with Marxist analysis and a basic understanding of global economics.
May 28, 2023
A critical look at the Pink Tide governments in Latin America and the limits they ran into. While acknowledging some of their successes, the book shows that these governments failed to challenge the class structure of Latin America, and generally relied on high commodity prices to fund social programs, leading to a turn to the right and towards austerity after the global financial crash. It also criticises this extractivism and it's relationship towards indigenous people.
Webber also uses the concept of the passive revolution to demonstrate the cooptation of radical social movements such as the Left-Indigenous movements in Bolivia from 2000-2005 into the state structure, neutralizing the fundamental challenge the faced to capital
Webber also uses the concept of the passive revolution to demonstrate the cooptation of radical social movements such as the Left-Indigenous movements in Bolivia from 2000-2005 into the state structure, neutralizing the fundamental challenge the faced to capital
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews