Latin America's Turbulent Transitions The Future of Twenty-First Century Socialism

Over the past few years, something remarkable has occurred in Latin America. For the first time since the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua in the 1980s, people within the region have turned toward radical left governments - specifically in Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. Why has this profound shift taken place and how does this new, so-called 'Twenty-First Century Socialism' actually manifest itself? What are we to make of the often fraught relationship between the social movements and governments in these countries and do, in fact, the latter even qualify as 'socialist' in reality?These are the bold and critical questions that 'Latin America's Turbulent Transition' explores, as the authors provocatively argue that although U.S. hegemony in the region is on the wane, the socialist project is also declining. Going beyond simple 'two-left' conceptions, the book reveals the true underpinnings of this powerful, transformative and yet also complicated and contradictory process.

Roger Burbach is Director of Research and Publication at the Center for the Study of the Americas (CENSA) in Berkeley, California.

 

Michael Fox is a freelance journalist, reporter and documentary filmmaker based currently in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

 

Federico Fuentes edits Bolivia Rising, is part of the Venezuela Analysis editorial collective, and a regular contributor to the Australian based newspaper Green Left Weekly, including as part of its Caracas bureau from 2007-10.

Introduction: Turbulent Transitions and the Specter of Socialism1: Globalization, Neoliberalism, and the Rise of the Social Movements2: The Pink Tide and the Challenge to U.S. Hegemony3: Between Neo-Extractivism and 21st Century Socialism4: Venezuela's 21st Century Socialism5: Bolivia's Communitarian Socialism6: Ecuador's Buen Vivir Socialism (by Marc Becker)7: Brazil: Between Challenging Hegemony and Embracing It8: Cuba: 'Updating' 20th Century Socialism?9: Conclusion: Socialism and the Long Latin American SpringAppendix: List of nationwide votes in Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador