Latin American Politics in the Neoliberal Era - (Emerald Studies in State, Politics and Society) by Henry Veltmeyer (Hardcover)

About the Book

Challenging centuries-old systems and barriers as the only study on the contemporary dynamics of the class struggle within the context of this region, this text fights back against the homogenous tides of class and capitalism to envision a richly diverse continent with more to offer than ever.

Book Synopsis

Latin America has been a major focal point for analysis of the global class war over land and labor. Taking the region as a useful window for understanding the conditions generated by the global advance and dynamics of free market and corporate capitalism at play all over the world, Henry Veltmeyer scrutinizes the shifting dynamics of class struggle in Latin America against the background of neoliberalism.

With a central focus on the left and right swings of the electoral politics pendulum, this is an up-to-date, detailed study of the historic rise and ravages of capitalism and the forces of both development and resistance that it generates in its mission to accumulate capital under any social and environmental cost. Based on decades of research and experience and several recent sojourns to diverse sites of class struggle in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico, Veltmeyer provides the knowledge needed to challenge the machinations of both the international capitalist class and the ruling class closer to home.

Challenging centuries-old systems and barriers as the only study on the contemporary dynamics of the class struggle within the context of this region, this text fights back against the homogenous tides of class and capitalism to envision a richly diverse continent with more to offer than ever. It is compelling reading for scholars and students specializing in the politics and sociology of development, international political economy, political ecology, and Latin American studies.

Review Quotes

A must-read book on the political crossroads and the dynamics of class struggle in Latin America in the 21st century. The author offers us an in-depth and nuanced analysis of three fronts of the class struggle unfolding in the region, with particular emphasis on the emergence of a progressive cycle of regime change - the so-called 'pink tide' - and the subsequent rise of neo-authoritarian regimes on the radical far right. Added to an analysis of the pendulum swings of electoral politics the book provides an analysis of the class struggles associated with the peasant movement as well as the indigenous communities on the frontier of extractive capital. Highly recommended for scholars and students concerned with the politics of development in Latin America.

--Raúl Delgado Wise, Holder of the UNESCO Chair for Migration and Development at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, and Emeritus National Researcher with the National Council of Humanities, Science and Technology, Mexico

A refreshing overview and synthesis of past and current happenings in Latin America with attention to neoliberal authoritarianism and progressive politics, social change, and political economy. Emphasis on class and class struggle and includes case studies on Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Especially useful as a text for Latin American Studies.

--Ronald Chilcote, Professor Emeritus of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Riverside

I highly recommend this profoundly original work. The extraordinary value of this book is that it addresses and dissects the essential dimensions of an exceedingly complex contemporary reality. In this regard it matches works of great importance such as those of Tulio Halperín Donghi or Darcy Ribeiro, who in the past knew how to penetrate appearances to grasp the underlying essence of reality. This book does so superbly in the contemporary context of capitalist development, enhancing a clearly articulated theoretically framed overview of Latin America's historical trajectory with detailed national comparative studies, which range from Mexico and Central America to Brazil and Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. The highlight of the book is an analysis of the dynamics of political change and class struggle in terms of swings to the left and right of the pendulum of electoral politics, and the associated conflict between right-wing neoliberalisms and left-wing progressivisms.

--Alberto Bialakowsky, Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani, Universidad de Buenos Aires; Cofounder, South-South Forum of Social Science; Founding President, ASET (Argentine Association of Labor Studies)

This book offers an outstanding Marxist overview of the turns of the political pendulum in contemporary Latin America, and the shifting fortunes of left in the class struggle. The book is solid and insightful, and unsurpassed in its coverage and depth. An indispensable companion to political economists, trade unionists, community organisers, and activists seeking lessons and inspiration from the most politically active region in the world.

--Alfredo Saad-Filho, SOAS University of London, University of Johannesburg, LUT University, and Università degli Studi della Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli'

About the Author

Henry Veltmeyer is Research Professor at the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico, and Professor Emeritus of International Development Studies at Saint Mary's University, Canada. In addition to the distinction of Senior Research Fellow with calas-Guadalajara, he has been awarded the status of Emeritus National Researcher by the Mexican National Research Council (CONACYT).