Introduction: Capital, Power, and Inequality in Latin America

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book explains how the shift to neoliberal policies has come about in Latin America and explores the implications for the region. It reveals that the unpopular policies were introduced in most cases by the repressive military regimes that held sway throughout Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s. The book indicates that global capitalist integration has involved the expansion of the activities and influence of the transnational corporations and financial institutions that dominate the global capitalist system. It also indicates that the concentration of wealth, employment, and services in Latin America's cities has historically attracted migrants from the rural areas. The book focuses on the social ecology of capitalism in Latin America to make clear that the global capitalist system has jeopardized not only the working class but also the environment.