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Neo-populism in Bolivia and Brazil and the role of China

Sun, May 26, 4:00 to 5:30pm, TBA

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, a new wave of reformist governments in Latin America have inaugurated a trend known as neo-populism, the pink tide, or the new left. Lula da Silva in Brazil represents a moderate version of neo-populist politician, while Evo Morales in Bolivia is considered a hardliner. Neo-populist governments bet on extractivism, thanks to the economic commodity boom triggered by the emergence of China and other East Asian countries that allowed them to implement redistributionist policies through cash-transfers.
Bolivia and Brazil represent two completely different societies in terms of population size, ethnic composition, resources, and level of industrialization. Brazil is the powerhouse of Latin America, member of both the emerging BRICS countries and the exclusive G-20 club, while Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. While the Morales administration has been able to capitalize on the China boom, granting a long period of political and economic stability to the present, Lula disappeared from the political landscape being replaced by a right leaning government. I will compare the achievements of the neopopulist governments in the two countries, trying to elucidate the different outcomes in Bolivia and Brazil.

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