Petra Böhm

Latin America's Turn to the Left: Between Populism and a New Socio-economic and Political Model Petra Böhm

After century-long struggles to develop its economies in a sustainable way, Latin America experienced a significant political change at the beginning of this century: In a majority of the countries in the region leaders from left-wing parties were elected as president. This is important, since it is a major shift in the region¿s political orientation. The book discusses the reasons behind this change. However, the main research question to be answered in this book is whether this political move in Latin America is simply populism or a real step towards a new socio- economic and political model. The answers to this question are derived from a qualitative analysis, which examines in detail the measures taken and policies implemented by left-wing politicians in the region, with a focus on the three sample countries Brazil, Peru and Venezuela. Finally, the book introduces a model analysing various economic, social, political and environmental factors in all Latin American countries and their alterations since the beginning of this century. The results of this analysis allow a general assessment of the current situation and the future potential of each country.