Institutional Strengthening in a Receding Movement: The Trajectory ofPiqueteroOrganizations between 2003 and 2015

Marcos Emilio Perez

doi:10.25222/larr.336

Abstract

This article contributes to the current debate on social movements and popular politics in Latin America by exploring the trajectory of organizations within the unemployed workers movement in Argentina, also known as thepiqueteros. Analysts agree that the recent history of this movement is characterized by a pronounced decline due to closing political opportunities. I suggest that a shift in the level of analysis toward organizational dynamics indicates a more complex scenario. While the influence of the movement as a political actor has declined, some piquetero organizations have in some aspects strengthened. I argue that this strengthening took place not despite the post-2003 context, but rather because of it. I advocate for an alternative conceptualization of piquetero groups, emphasizing their immersion in a particular political context and culture rather than their separation from it. I use interviews, participant observation, databases of contentious events, and a diverse literature to sustain my claims.

Highlights

Over the past few decades, grassroots movements have become major actors in Latin American popular politics
Community-based movements that emerged as a reaction against neoliberal policies were a driving force behind the “left turn” in Latin American governments beginning in the early 2000s (Silva 2009; Levitsky and Roberts 2011)
Community organizers from various ideologies began to establish groups of unemployed workers in different Argentinean cities, demanding access to jobs and relief programs. These groups had origins in diverse branches of the political left such as hard-line unions, autonomous community groups, and radical political parties (Svampa and Pereyra 2003), they rapidly developed a similar combination of repertoire and organizational structure that helped them recruit members and gain influence

Summary

Marcos Emilio Perez

This article contributes to the current debate on social movements and popular politics in Latin America by exploring the trajectory of organizations within the unemployed workers movement in Argentina, known as the piqueteros. While the influence of the movement as a political actor has declined, some piquetero organizations have in some aspects strengthened. I advocate for an alternative conceptualization of piquetero groups, emphasizing their immersion in a particular political context and culture rather than their separation from it. Este articulo busca contribuir al debate sobre movimientos sociales y política popular en América Latina, por medio del estudio de las trayectorias de organizaciones en el movimiento de trabajadores desocupados de Argentina, mejor conocido como el movimiento Piquetero. Promuevo una conceptualización alternativa de las organizaciones piqueteras, enfatizando su inmersión en un contexto y cultura política particular, en vez de su separación de las mismas. Mis argumentos están basados en entrevistas, observación participante, bases de datos de protestas, y una literatura diversa sobre el movimiento

Introduction

Data and Methods

Shifting political opportunities

Discussion and Conclusion