Left Forum
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York 524 West 59th st, New York, NY 10019
Apr 30, 2015
3:00 PM - 5:30 PM (GMT-5)
A mixed picture for the Latin American radical left has emerged over the last two years. On the one hand, leftist and moderate leftist governments have won presidential elections in Ecuador, Bolivia, El Salvador and Brazil, while right-wing presidential candidates with strong possibilities of success were defeated in Chile, Panama and Colombia. On the other hand, some left-leaning governments have faced increasing economic difficulties which have contributed to weaker results in recent elections. In Venezuela the government of Nicolás Maduro has been subject to an all-out destabilization campaign and will now face a congressional election that the opposition wants to characterize as a plebiscite. In addition, the sharp decline in international hydrocarbon prices has negatively affected the economies of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador. In Venezuela and elsewhere the role of the market in nations committed to socialism has become a major issue of debate, as is currently the case in Cuba. The presentations on this panel will look at the challenges facing the Latin radical left as well as factors that favor the political survival of those governments, such as the emergence of UNASUR, MERCOSUR, CELAC, ALBA and other international bodies free of U.S. domination. Finally, it will look at the role of the United States in efforts to counter the radical left in the region.
This panel is taking place as part of Left Forum. For tickets and more information on the forum, click here.
Steve Ellner Chair, Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela
Dan La Botz, Co-editor of New Politics
Linda Farthing
Alexander Main, Senior Associate for International Policy, Center for Economic and Policy Research
