Talk

Brazil / Mexico / Bolsonaro / Amlo / The Divergent Politics of Latin America's Second Neoliberal Crisis: A Talk by René Rojas. Presented by MA Critical Theory and the Arts and BFA Visual and Critical Studies.The specter of authoritarianism is haunting Latin America. Brazil's terrifying turn under Jair Bolsonaro has brought forward speculation about whether we are faced with a fundamental crisis of Latin American democracies. Yet at the same time, Latin America has seen the left populist, AMLO, win a surprising mandate for change in Mexico. This talk looks at these developments as twin phenomena characteristic of a broader context, Latin America's second great neoliberal crisis. We will look at the achievements and limitations of the Latin American Pink Tide—the product of the first crisis—as the basis for present political developments. Finally, we will consider what this analysis suggests for the future of democracy, in the Southern Cone and around the world. RSVP to theoryart@sva.edu.René Rojas teaches sociology and political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and is about to begin a position as an assistant professor at SUNY Binghamton College of Community and Public Affairs. His recent extended essay on the Pink Tide, "The Latin American Left's Shifting Tides," was published in the journal Catalyst and will be expanded into a forthcoming book. His research is on neoliberal development and politics in Latin America, where he spent years as an activist.