Voices of Latin America: Social Movements and the New Activism
Edited by Tom Gatehouse
(Latin American Bureau, £21.95)

BETWEEN 2002 and 2012, Latin America experienced the political and social phenomenon dubbed “the pink tide” that helped at least 10 million on the continent to join the middle class every year, while the proportion living on less than U$24 a day shrank from 45 to 25 per cent.

This progressive development in countries such as Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina challenged the neoliberalism of previous decades in reducing extreme poverty and it ushered in the introduction of more unorthodox economic policies and the development of social policies aimed at the most marginalised sectors of society.

Sadly, that pink tide of politically and socially progressive governments is now in retreat after experiencing a series of political setbacks since 2016. The initial redistributive phase that had started at the start of the millennium came to a sudden end, coinciding with the fall on the prices of commodities, a reduction in available resources and the advancement of the extreme right.

This book charts not only the new challenges facing Latin America today but the many voices determined to fight tirelessly against state impunity, the depredations of global capital and social inequalities.

It includes thought-provoking contributions from anthropologists, archaeologists, urban planners, architects, artists and journalists and politicians. Included too are the voices of women and LGBTQ people trying to halt gender-based oppression and violence, indigenous activists fighting oil drilling on their territory, favela residents resisting evictions, students staking their claim to a free, universal, and high-quality education and many more.

The key voices in this collection are not those of the authors or the editor but rather of the 75 people interviewed, who give illuminating accounts of their plights and experiences.

It’s an invaluable work for anyone wanting to understand why the return of right-wing governments in Latin America is one the rise, along with the growing rapaciousness of multinationals.

But it also details the extraordinary work that social movements, activists and NGOs are doing in order to fight against social injustices and the worrying rise of authoritarian extremism.

An essential read.