Power to the people

 

• Batlle MC. La tentación populista: una vía de acceso al poder en América Latina. América Latina Hoy 2007 08;46:210-212.

 

In the present paper a summary and analysis will be made. The main objective is to understand which are the main explanations of populism, and what is the nature that defines populism from other political phenomena. In general terms, populism is a unique phenomenon in Latin America and in most cases it occurred in a similar way. Even though populism is considered as a characteristic in many Latin American governments, it is important to recognize that on the one hand, there are some countries who are considered as the ancient populists, such as: Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Chili, Peru, Colombia and Uruguay. On the other hand, when talking about modern populists; Venezuela (with Hugo Chavez), Bolivia (with Evo Morales), and Ecuador (with Alvaro Noboa and Rafael Correa) play an important role.

 

This particular article is about a book written by an expertise in Latin American studies. The main subject of this text is populism as an access road to power in Latin America. Therefore some facts are important to consider in order achieve the best understanding and critical thought about populism.

Media and broadcasters became extremely popular by the time populism was beginning. Latin American societies were fascinated by the new means of communication available; therefore politicians played extremely well their cards. Media is the cheapest and most effective way to reach the greatest part of a country’s population. The perfect scenario fit in Latin American Countries; where the middle-working classes were struggling to get what they desire and dream of having a better life. This working social class and the low class are the ones that are more in touch with any kind of information and propaganda, and sadly the most vulnerable ones. The article establishes that the bond between the leader and his/her followers or supporters can be the result of a strong emotive identification or a result of the evaluation that they realize and make them electable as the best option to represent people’s political and specific interests.

 

Populism is distinguished from being a quick and apparently easy response to particular situations. But those situations are not essentially simple or easy to solve, even when other conservative politicians offer more complex solutions and whole processes to deal with a social or economical crisis, people want to feel direct democracy, they want to feel they are being heard and understood, hence they hear want they want to hear. The easy and simple solutions seem to be the ones they have been looking for all the time. It is important to distinguish that in theory populism would actually work and the majority would be satisfied, but in practice the populism in only an ideological speech; a social from of the state to intervene; an specific type of monetary policies and public expenses. Populism reduces itself as a political strategy that is supposed to be a form of public representation. As the article mentions the interdependence relations between center and peripheries; then an establishment of an interclass alliance is made, this means poor/popular sector, middle-working class and the bourgeoisie are opposing to the “oligarchy”. When talking about social issues there are symptoms, problems and ways to solve the other two. Often it is thought that populism was the solution, but today it is know that populism is a symptom; the government such as the population, both of them feel this symptom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Power to the people

 

• Fair H. EL DEBATE SOBRE EL PERONISMO Y LA DEMOCRACIA. Nómadas 2010;27(3):319-332.

 

In the present paper an analysis about the phenomenon of peronism and the question of democracy will be made. The article that talks about this linkage was inspired by a public debate that occurred in Argentina years ago; thanks to the famous TV show “The Simpsons” in which two characters argued about peronism; one of them says he would like to live under a “military dictatorship” as the one of Juan Peron, because when he made you disappear, you remained disappeared. This cartoon made many politicians, historians and intellectuals analyzed this old topic: if peronism actually has a bond with dictatorships and totalitarian regimes.

 

It is true that the government of Peron possibly had a noble cause and he wanted to achieve democracy on its purest form; representing and fighting for what the majority of the Argentinian people asked for. But at the end of his mandate his goals were not achieved. In Argentina a complex consensus has been made, because institutional democracy does not have a strong background on the country. The country has experienced essentially more military uprisings and dictatorships. Many historians have agreed that many Argentinian political practices can be defined as delegative practices, would be predominant from the conservative oligarchic regime of the radical caudillo Hipolito Yrigoyen, and this practices would be eventually emphasized during peronism.

 

Infinite authors have analyzed peronism; this has led peronism to be one of the most debated topics in social sciences and politics. The important similarities and conclusions that all those authors (from right or left ideologies) have made are that they blame peronism of having built an outright dictatorship. The most interesting facts about Peron and his tendency to build a dictatorship are found in other European political movements. This means, Peron was inspired by the Italian, Spanish and German fascist ideas, which led his political ideologies and his mandate far away from a populist and democratic sense. Peron visited Europe; when so, he was fascinated by fascism and this can be proven because he let hundreds of Nazi refugees enter his country after the Second World War ended. Also the focus he gave to his speeches, ideas, organization, censorings, social assistance, propaganda, political repression, his appearances in the balcony, and many other actions that nowadays are considered as a pure copy of Benito Mussolini.