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The Politics of Popular Coalitions: Unions and Territorial Social Movements in Post-Neoliberal Latin America (2000–15)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2019

Sebastián Etchemendy*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science and International Studies, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Argentina
*
*Corresponding author. Email: setchemendy@utdt.edu

Abstract

At a general level of neoliberal repudiation or expansion of social policies, most post-neoliberal Latin American governments in the 2000s have exhibited similarities. However, coalitions with popular actors have displayed a lot of variation. In order to compare popular-sector coalitions the article constructs a framework with two central dimensions: electoral and organisational/interest; in post-import substitution industrialisation (ISI) Latin America the latter is composed of both unions and territorial social movements (TSMs). It contends that the region witnessed four types of popular coalitions: electoral (Ecuador and Chile), TSM-based (i.e. made up of informal sector-based organisations, Venezuela and Bolivia), dual (i.e. composed of both unions and TSMs, Argentina and Brazil) and union/party-based (Uruguay). The study argues that government–union coalitions are largely accounted for by the relative size of the formal economy, and by the institutional legacies of labour based-parties. Coalitions with informal sector-based organisations are rooted in the political activation of these TSMs during the anti-neoliberal struggles of the 1990s and early 2000s.

Spanish abstract

Spanish abstract

A un nivel general de repudio a la ideología neoliberal o de expansión de políticas sociales, la mayoría de los gobiernos pos-neoliberales en la Latinoamérica en el siglo XXI han sido similares. Sin embargo, las coaliciones con actores populares mostraron una gran diversidad. El artículo construye un marco analítico para comparar las coaliciones con sectores populares tomando dos dimensiones centrales: por un lado la arena electoral, y por el otro el espacio organizativo o de intereses, que en la Latinoamérica posterior a la industrialización por sustitución de importaciones se compone tanto de sindicatos como de movimientos sociales territoriales (TSMs en inglés). El artículo propone que la región fue testigo de cuatro tipos de coaliciones populares: electoral (Ecuador y Chile), basadas en TSMs (es decir de organizaciones del sector informal: Venezuela y Bolivia), dual (aquellas formadas tanto por sindicatos como por movimientos sociales: Argentina y Brasil), y basadas en sindicatos/partidos (Uruguay). El estudio argumenta que las coaliciones de gobierno con sindicatos se explican principalmente por el tamaño relativo de la economía formal y por los legados institucionales de los partidos de base laboral. Las coaliciones con las organizaciones del sector informal, en cambio, tienen su origen en la activación política de estos TSMs durante las luchas anti-neoliberales de fines de los años 1990 y principios de los 2000.

Portuguese abstract

Portuguese abstract

Em um nível geral, no que diz respeito à repudiação da ideologia neoliberal ou à expansão de políticas sociais, a maioria dos governos pós-neoliberais latino-americanos no século XXI tem sido similares. No entanto, alianças com figuras populares apresentaram uma grã variação. Este artigo constrói um quadro analítico que compara alianças do setor popular em duas dimensões: nas esferas eleitorais e organizacionais/de interesse, a qual na América Latina pós-ISI (Industrialização de Substituição de Importação) é composta tanto por sindicatos quanto por movimentos território-sociais (TSMs do inglês). Argumento que a região foi testemunha de quatro tipos de alianças populares: eleitoral (Equador e Chile), baseada em TSMs (ou seja, em organizações do setor informal: Venezuela e Bolívia), dupla (as formadas tanto por sindicatos quanto por movimentos sociais: Argentina e Brasil), e baseadas em sindicatos/partidos (Uruguai). O estudo argumenta que alianças sindicais-governamentais são em grande parte explicadas pelo tamanho relativo da economia formal, e pelos legados institucionais de partidos trabalhistas. Alianças com organizações do setor informal, pelo contrário, eram baseadas na ativação política destes TSMs durante os conflitos anti-neoliberais dos fins dos anos 1990 e princípios dos 2000.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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References

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