The Left Turn in Latin American Politics

Latin America in recent years has captured the world’s attention in regard to resisting the advance of capitalism in the form of the neoliberal policy agenda and extractivism—foreign direct investments in the acquisition of land (landgrabbing) and the extraction of natural resources to meet the demand for these resources on capitalist markets. The region has also captured the imagination of the world in regard to diverse experiments and experiences in the search for a more sustainable and inclusive form of development and an alternative pathway out of the current global crisis. This talk Will draw the audience’s attention to the political dimension of this capitalist development process and the resistance as reflected and played out in the pendulum of democratic electoral politics in the region, particularly in regard to the decided turn towards the left in recent years—the so-called ‘progressive cycle’ and ‘pink tide’ of electoral politics.