The Pluses and Downsides of Latin America’s 21st Century Progressive Governments

My edited “Latin America’s Pink Tide: Breakthroughs and Shortcomings” analyzes the governing experiences of the nine major pro-leftist governments in Latin America. The contributors examine the Pink Tide policies and rhetoric that gained widespread approval and led to the long tenure of many of these governments: ambitious social programs, prioritizing the needs of the poor, nationalistic foreign policy, economic nationalism, and asserting control of strategic sectors of the economy. The book also takes a critical look at policies that have contributed to recent setbacks, acknowledging the inability of progressive governments to overcome embedded structures holding back economic development. The contributors look at the actions of a “disloyal opposition”—often supported by powerful foreign actors—pressuring the government into making concessions and carrying out policies that ultimately undermined economic and political stability.