Latin America's Left Turns: an introduction

Abstract

In the wake of a series of electoral victories, often dubbed a ‘pink tide’ by the media, there has seldom been a moment more propitious for the diverse parties, movements and leaders of the Latin American Left. Yet the Left faces daunting challenges, and the diversity of responses to these challenges suggests that there is not one but many left turns. This article, like the collection of essays that it introduces, critiques conventional distinctions between ‘populist’ and ‘social democratic’ currents of the Latin American Left, and argues that the left turns are best described as a multiplicity of disparate efforts to reopen or re-found the constitutional order or social pact. These efforts reveal deep-seated tensions between the Latin American Left and liberalism. The analysis reviews these tensions as well as some of the central policy challenges facing progressive governments and the relationships between social movements and political representation.