Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject Politics - Political Theory and the History of Ideas Journal, grade: 1,7, University of Wales, Aberystwyth (International Politics Department), course: Citizenship in Latin America, language: English, abstract: “Our Revolution, which has been heterodox in its forms and manifestations, has nevertheless followed the general lines of all the great historical events of this century characterized by anticolonial struggles and the transition towards socialism.” Che Guevara: Cuba: Exception or Vanguard, 1961 “We are a product of five hundred years of struggle: first, led by insurgents against slavery during the War of Independence with Spain (...) They don’t care that we have nothing, absolutely nothing, not even a roof over our heads. (...) But today we say: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! General Command of the EZLN: War! First Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, 1993. FOURTY-TWO YEARS LIE BETWEEN THESE TWO STATEMENTS, the statements of two Latin-American revolutionaries, equal in charisma, and by a mere coincidence both renown for the smoking materials perpetually accompanying their every moves. Yet far more lies between Che Guevara and Marcos than that the former was a cigar-addict whilst the latter goes nowhere without his pipe. This essay is no contrast between the two. It is neither a character-sketch of Che, nor an analysis of Marcos’ poetry and prose, as the first would be ideal for psychologists, whilst the second task would be better performed in a literature department. Instead, I shall undertake to try and describe the changing fibre of revolutionary social movements in Latin America over the last forty years, explaining how Che Guevara’s legacy, paired with the Sandinistas and other influences led to the emergence of the Zapatistas in today’s Mexico. In saying this, I shall state here in the introduction that through the research for this essay my initial sympathies towards the Zapatistas, which I developed while seeing them in action in and talking to them in Chiapas, have strengthened. I maintain that it is better to state openly an opinion than to try and conceal it. However, in keeping with Sir Karl Popper, the objectivity should rest not with the person researching, as such a thing is impossible, but in the methodology employed. The methodology in this essay consists in taking Che Guevara and the Cuban Revolution and the Nicaraguan Sandinistas as preceding case studies, as steps in the history of revolutions towards the Mexican Zapatistas.

Reclaiming Latin America is a one-stop guide to the revival of social democratic and socialist politics across the region. At the end of the Cold War, and through decades of neoliberal domination and the 'Washington Consensus' it seemed that the left could do nothing but beat a ragged retreat in Latin America. Yet this book looks at the new opportunities that sprang up through electoral politics and mass action during that period. The chapters here warn against over-simplification of the so-called 'pink wave'. Instead, through detailed historical analysis of Latin America as a whole and country-specific case studies, the book demonstrates the variety of approaches to establishing a lasting social justice. From the anti-imperialism of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas in Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba, to the more gradualist routes being taken in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, Reclaiming Latin America gives a real sense of the plurality of political responses to popular discontent.

This groundbreaking text explores the dramatic evolution in Latin American social movements over the past fifteen years. Leading scholars examine a variety of cases that highlight significant shifts in the region. First is the breakdown of the Washington Consensus and the global economic crisis since 2008, accompanied by the rise of new paradigms such as buen vivir (living well). Second are transformations in internal movement dynamics and strategies, especially the growth of horizontalism (horizontalidad), which emphasizes non-hierarchical relations within society rather than directly tackling state power. Third are new dynamics of resistance and repression as movements interact with the “pink tide” rise of left-of-center governments in the region. Exploring outcomes and future directions, the contributors consider the variations between movements arising from immediate circumstances (such as Oaxaca’s 2006 uprising and Brazil’s 2013 bus fare protests) and longer-lasting movements (Vía Campesina, Brazil’s MST, and Mexico’s Zapatistas). Assessing both the continuities in social movement dynamics and important new tendencies, this book will be essential reading for all students of Latin American politics and society. Contributions by: Marc Becker, George Ciccariello-Maher, Kwame Dixon, Fran Espinoza, Daniela Issa, Nathalie Lebon, Maurice Rafael Magaña, María Elena Martinez-Torres, Sara C. Motta, Leonidas Oikonomakis, Suyapa Portillo Villeda, Peter M. Rosset, Marina Sitrin, Rose J. Spalding, Richard Stahler-Sholk, Alicia Swords, Harry E. Vanden, and Raúl Zibechi

This study describes and analyses the new social movements that have arisen in India over the past two decades, in particular the anti-caste movement (of both the untouchables and the lower-middle castes), the women's liberation movement, the farmers' movement (centred on struggles arising out of their integration into a state-controlled capitalist market), and the environmental movements (opposition to destructive development, including resistance to big dam projects and the search for alternatives). Rooted in participant observation, it focuses on the ideologies and self-understanding of the movements themselves. The central themes of this book are the origin of movements in the socio-economic contradictions of post-independence India; their effect on political developments, in particular the disintegration of Congress hegemony; their relation to "traditional Marxist" theory and Communist practice; and their groping toward a synthesis of theory and practice that constitutes a new social vision distinct from traditional Marxism.

Based on in-depth interviews with seventy-four intellectuals of the lefts in Cuba and Mexico, Reinventing Revolution explores the rapidly changing thinking of progressives on the big-and enduring-questions of democracy, economic alternatives, and national sovereignty. Offering a unique world-systems perspective on the sociology of intellectuals and

The updated and expanded third edition of Tilly's widely acclaimed book brings this analytical history of social movements fully up to date. Tilly and Wood cover such recent topics as the economic crisis and related protest actions around the globe while maintaining their attention to perennially important issues such as immigrants' rights, new media technologies, and the role of bloggers and Facebook in social movement activities. With new coverage of colonialism and its impact on movement formation as well as coverage and analysis of the 2011 Arab Spring, this new edition of Social Movements adds more historical depth while capturing a new cycle of contention today. New to the Third Edition Expanded discussion of the Facebook revolution-and the significance of new technologies for social movements Analysis of current struggles-including the Arab Spring and pro-democracy movements in Egypt and Tunisia, Arizona's pro- and anti-immigration movements, the Tea Party, and the movement inspired by Occupy Wall Street Expanded discussion of the way the emergence of capitalism affected the emergence of the social movement.

The two current trends of democratization and deepening economic liberalization have made Latin American countries a ground for massive defensive mobilization campaigns and have created new sites of popular struggle. In this edited volume on Latin American social movements, original chapters are combined with peer-reviewed articles from the well-regarded journal Mobilization. Each section represents a major theme in Latin American social movement research. Original chapters discuss the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement in Argentina and the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. Also included in the book's coverage of the region's major movements are los piqueteros and antisweatshop labor organizing. This is the first study to focus closely on the related issues of neoliberal globalization, democratization, and the workings of transnational advocacy networks in Latin America.