THE RETURN OF THE PINK TIDE AND THE LEFT TURN: LA NUEVA IZQUIERDA IN LATIN AMERICA

Zoran Krstić

Abstract

The subject of study in this paper is the return and rise of the new left in the elections held in the previous four years in Latin America. The focus of the research is on the causes and consequences of the return of the pink tide and its basic characteristics. The main goal of this paper is to objectively look at the problems and difficulties faced by the states of the region in the context of the cyclical change of leftist and rightist policies. Special attention in the work is devoted to the analysis of factors that helped or hindered the institutionalization of left-wing policies. Part of the work is focused on the analysis of the relationship between new social movements and the state, as well as on economic dependence and exploitation of natural resources. The return of the leftist wave is a reaction to the increased economic and social inequalities that led to a series of protests and riots and the emergence of various social movements. The problem in Latin America is that the region faces not only underdevelopment but also a structural crisis of credibility in democratic and political systems. The paper uses a historical-descriptive and contextual approach in the analysis of the “pink tide” phenomenon.

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