Since the demise of the genocidal military dictatorships, democratisation in 1980s and the pink tide, it's tempting to see the Latin American right as on the back foot. This excellent and timely collection acts as a useful corrective, providing a more balanced understanding. * Dr Peter North, University of Liverpool *
A timely book that fills a gap in the literature. While the rise of the left has dominated the headlines regarding Latin America, the book reminds us that the centre right rules in some of the most important countries of the region. It provides a rich analysis of centre right politics in a rapidly changing region of the world. Extremely useful for anyone interested in having a full picture of contemporary Latin American politics. * Francisco Panizza, Reader in Latin American Politics, The London School of Economics and Political Science, author of 'Contemporary Latin America' *
This book offers the most comprehensive and authoritative assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the political right in Latin America, and a much-needed examination of the continuing challenges to democracy and to the drive towards social and economic equality which is posed by the traditional ruling classes in this region. This is a key reference for understanding contemporary Latin American politics. * Prof Alfredo Saad-Filho, Department of Development Studies, SOAS, University of London *
Too often progressives demonise or just ignore the political right. This new collection redresses this deficit with a series of extremely well informed snapshots of the right in action across Latin America. A must read for all interested in genuine democratisation * Professor Ronaldo Munck, Head of Civic and Global Engagement, Dublin City University *
'Right-Wing Politics in the New Latin America' poses key questions regarding the Latin American right and goes a long way in answering them. As editors Lievesley and Ludlam point out in the introduction and is documented throughout the book, the right counts on vast resources from both home and abroad and is embedded in the bureaucracy of diverse institutions. The book also demonstrates that the commitment of many Latin American rightist political parties to democracy is shaky and indeed some of them have historical links with fascist and other movements of the far-right. Equally important is the rich material on the maneuvers of powerful actors in Washington on behalf of the Latin American right. In addition, the book reveals the key role of the right in the formulation and implementation of neoliberal policies in recent decades. This is a must read for those intent on understanding twenty-first century Latin American politics, even in those countries where the left currently has the upper hand. * Steve Ellner, author of 'Rethinking Venezuelan Politics: Class, Conflict and the Chavez Phenomenon' *
