The Three Challenges of the New Progressive Cycle in South America

!!!

Progressive winds are blowing in South America with Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez’s victory in Colombia and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s successes in Brazil’s ongoing presidential campaign. However, this new progressive cycle will nonetheless need to overcome three political challenges: the renewal of the left, the economy and development, and growing political polarization.

Josué Medeiros of  Tal Cual of Caracas reported that in Colombia political renewal has appeared in the form of a composition with the traditions of progressivism. This has occurred through a union created between Gustavo Petro, a former guerilla and politician, and Francia Márquez, a black activist, environmentalist, and anti-racist leader. Brazil, on the other hand, seems to have the political process which is the least open to renewal. It may, however, be possible to see a renewal in other electoral disputes that will take place at the same time as the presidential election, such as in Congress.

Consolidating the desire for political renewal while considering the government’s economic agenda has also proven to be a challenge. Boric, Petro, and Lula have affirmed the prioritization of fighting poverty and the consolidation of social rights so that the situation of the social crisis occurring in the region may be improved upon. The environmental issue has also been given key priority. All three leaders, Boric, Petro, and Lula have suggested that their governments will face the climate crisis with a great degree of seriousness.

The political hegemony which has existed in the region since 2015 has also slowly changed as signs of a progressive revival have started to emerge since the triumph of Alberto Fernández in 2019 and the social outbreak in Chile. Nevertheless, the authoritarian far right remains strong in Chile, Colombia, and Brazil. To combat this, a concrete strategy is needed which does not simply resort to returning to progressive developmentalism but includes the fight against poverty and an adherence to the left in both the socio-environmental agenda and in the demand for political and democratic renewal.