Emerging Emancipatory Processes In Latin America

Chapter Summary

New alternatives to the fading neoliberal Washington Consensus have emerged in Latin America. Where emerging emancipatory processes have taken better hold, they have tended to be shaped by successive approximation processes, sometimes even on parallel tracks, depending upon the existing conditions at each time. They can be seen as unfolding in several of the traditional arenas of Latin American domination such as the political, financial, social, ideological and military fronts. The stark limitations of existing representative democracies are starting to be strongly contested in Latin America as emerging emancipatory projects seek to transform the legal order in the interests of the popular sectors. The mechanism of nationalization of natural resources so that their exploitation can benefit its legitimate owners, as well as support other countries in need, has one of the highest emancipatory weights in keeping financial resources at home.

Keywords: emancipatory processes; financial clamp; Latin America; legal structures; military trap; neoliberal ideology; non-renewable natural resources; social movements