Conservative wave

Countries in blue indicate right-wing governments as of 2018
Countries in red indicate left-wing governments as of 2011

The conservative wave (Portuguese: onda conservadora; Spanish: ola conservadora) is a right-wing political phenomenon that emerged in mid-2010 in South America as a direct reaction to the Pink tide.[1][2]

After a decade of left-of-centre governments, influence of the São Paulo Forum, which had supported leftist parties in South America and the Caribbean, has declined; in 2015 in Argentina, the liberal Mauricio Macri succeeded Cristina Kirchner; in 2016 in Brazil, there was Dilma Rousseff's impeachment process that resulted in Dilma's departure and the rise of her vice president, Michel Temer to power; in 2017 in Chile, the conservative Sebastián Piñera, succeeded again social-democrat Michelle Bachelet, just as it was in the 2009 elections.

The conservative phenomenon has been compared with the election of Donald Trump in the United States and the growth of the right-wing populism in Europe (the Brexit in the United Kingdom, the advance of Marine Le Pen in France, Alternative for Germany in Germany, Five Star Movement and Lega Nord in Italy, Freedom Party of Austria in Austria, Fidesz in Hungary, Law and Justice in Poland, etc.) as similar phenomena[3].

Background


According to Roberto Schwarz the left has historically had cultural hegemony. It can be considered its peak in years 1990 (period that coincides with the beginning of the left turn in Latin America). In his essay on Culture and Politics, 1964-1969, literary critic and professor Roberto Schwarz already observed the phenomenon. In full military regime, he writes:

there is relative cultural hegemony of the left. It can be seen in the bookstores of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, full of Marxism, in theatrical premieres ... in the student movement or in the proclamations of the advanced clergy. In the shrines of bourgeois culture, the left sets the tone.

— Culture and politics, Roberto Schwarz[4]

Schwarz feared that the left would lose its cultural hegemony after the hardening of the military regime, but that did not happen. With the return of democracy, the left's cultural and intellectual hegemony was still enormous. The sociologist and writer Antonio Candido in his work entitled Literature (1988), already observed the phenomenon. It was rare to find any politician or entrepreneur who risked defining himself as conservative. They were all "invariably centered, even center-left, including the frankly reactionary."

Locations

Argentina

The election of the center-right Mauricio Macri in November 2015 as President of Argentina brought a right-wing government to power, although the populist movements of Peronism and Kirchnerismo (tied to its leader Fernández de Kirchner's popularity)[5] initially remained somewhat strong.[6] At the start of his tenure, Macri's government inherited a list of economic problems from the Kirchners, such as high unemployement rates, inflation and an increase in poverty,[7] though his government eventually halved the inflation rate by late-2017 and Argentina's economy began to grow again.[8] In October 2017, Macri established a more firm hold on power when many candidates of his Cambiemos party enjoyed victories in the 2017 Argentine legislative election, making a political comeback for Cristina Fernández de Kirchner more difficult.[9] A series of corruption scandals involving Macri and his allies developed during his presidential period,[10] including six federal investigations for alleged money laundry, influence trafficking, illegal increase of his family’s wealth[11] while also being involved in the Panama Papers scandal.[12] In 2017 Macri's pension reform faced massive protests in opposition, that some members of the press described as the more violent protest in Buenos Aires in decades.[13][14] Media reporters have accused Macri's government of police brutality and violent repression while handling these[15][16] and other recent protests.[17]

Brazil

In Brazil, it began roughly around the time Dilma Rousseff, in a tight election, won the 2014 presidential election, kicking off the fourth term of the Workers' Party in the highest position of government.[18] In addition, according to the political analyst of the Inter-Union Department of Parliamentary Advice, Antônio Augusto de Queiroz, the National Congress elected in 2014 may be considered the most conservative since the "re-democratization" movement, noting an increase in the number of parliamentarians linked to more conservative segments, such as ruralists, military, police and the religious.

The subsequent economic crisis of 2015 and investigations of corruption scandals led to a right-wing movement that sought to rescue ideas from economic liberalism and conservatism in opposition to left-wing policies. The growing numbers and influence of strongly socially conservative and Prosperity Theology-believers among the Evangelical Christian communities in Latin America has also been pointed as one of the factors behind the phenomenon.[19][20]

At the same time, the emergence of movements of young liberals, such as those that make up the Free Brazil Movement, among many others. For Manheim (1952), within a single real generation there may be several generations which he called "differentiated and antagonistic." For him, it is not the common birth date that marks a generation, though it matters, but rather the historical moment in which they live in common. In the case, the historical moment was the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff. They can be called the "post-Dilma generation".[21]

Right-wing interim President Michel Temer took office following the impeachment of President Rousseff. Temer held 3% approval ratings in October 2017,[22] facing a corruption scandal after accusations for obstructing justice and racketeering were placed against him.[23] He managed to avoid trial thanks to the support of the right-wing parties in the Brazilian Congress.[22][23] On the other hand, President of the Senate Renan Calheiros who was acknowledged as one of the key figures behind Rousseff's destitution and member of the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, was himself removed from office after facing embezzlement charges.[24]

Currently far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro of the Social Liberal Party is the frontrunner in the Brazilian general election, 2018 followed by left-wing former Mayor of Sao Paulo Fernando Haddad of Lula's Workers' Party.[25] However, Lula was banned to run after being convicted on criminal corruption charges and being imprisoned.[26][27][28]

Guatemala

Center-left Social democratic leader Alvaro Colom of the National Unity of Hope was elected in Guatemala in 2007, being the only modern day leftist president in the country.

Álvaro Colom's successor, right-wing Liberal Otto Pérez Molina, was forced to resign his presidency due to popular unrest[29][30] and corruption scandals that ended with his arrest.[31] Following Molina's resignation, right-wing Jimmy Morales was elected into office. Morales is currently under investigation for illegal financing.[32]

Honduras

In Honduras Manuel Zelaya's turn to the left during his tenure resulted in the 2009 Honduran coup d'état which was condemned by the entire region, including the United States. Next president, right-wing Juan Orlando Hernández of the Conservative National Party, won the election over left-wing Xiomara Castro (Zelaya’s wife) by a slight margin. Soon after, Hernández reformed the Constitution to allow himself to be candidate for immediate reelection, something until then forbidden by Honduran law, and runs as candidate for the Honduran general election, 2017 in what some observers question as undemocratic, authoritarian-leaning,[33][34] and corrupt.[35][36] During the Honduran general election, 2017 Hernández' tight self-proclaimed victory over Salvador Nasralla of the Opposition Alliance against the Dictatorship alongside accusations of voter fraud cause massive riots throughout Honduras. The declaration of a curfew from the country label as illegal by some jurists[37] according to the Constitution, and the violent repression of the protests left at least seven dead and dozens injured.[38] Due to the general popular unrest and Voter fraud allegations the Organization of American States requests a new election.[39][40][41][42]

Paraguay

Conservative (sometimes described as far-right) Colorado Party in Paraguay ruled the country for 65 consecutive years, including the American-supported[43][44][45][46][45][46] brutal dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner that lasted 35 years, from 1954 to 1989. Paraguay is one of the poorest countries of South America. This dominant-party authoritarian system was temporary broken in the Paraguayan general election, 2008, when practically the entire opposition united in the Patriotic Alliance for Change manage to elect former Bishop Fernando Lugo of the Christian Democratic Party as President of Paraguay. Lugo's government was praised for its social reforms including such as investments in low-income housing,[47] the introduction of free treatment in public hospitals,[48][49] the introduction of cash transfers for Paraguay's most impoverished citizens[50] and indigenous rights.[51]

Nevertheless, Lugo did not finish his period as he was impeached, despite enjoying very high approval ratings and popularity. The impeachment was rejected by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,[52] condemned by both right-wing and left-wing governments,[53][54] and considered a coup by UNASUR and Mercosur and treated accordingly with sanctions and suspensions for Paraguay.[55][56] Lugo was later elected President of Senate.

Paraguay's next president, right-wing Colorado Horacio Cartes, described by human rights organizations as authoritarian and homophobe,[57] has attempted to reform the Constitution to allow himself to be re-elected indefinitely, something which caused popular uproar. Cartes was also the suspect of money laundry[58][59][60] and tax evasion scandals.[61][62][63]

Peru

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski won the 2016 Peruvian elections, with Peru becoming yet another country that departs from a centre-left government.[64] In this election the third candidate with major support was leftist candidate Veronika Mendoza of Broad Front with 18% of votes.[65] Following corruption investigations surrounding Odebrecht, Peru's congress demanded Kuczynski to defend himself in a session, with Odebrecht stating that Kuczynski's involvement with the company was legal compared to the illegalities performed by his leftist predecessor.[66] Due to the corruption scandal the Impeachment of Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was started,[67] but voted against by a slight margin in Congress.[68] After videos were leaked to the public showing brivery from the Fujimoristas to keep Kuczynski in office, Kuczyinski resigned on his own.[69]

Kuczyinski was succeeded by his First Vice President, Martín Vizcarra.

Reception

On the political changes that were happening in the country, a collection of twenty essays organized by Felipe Demier and Rejane Hoeveler, titled The Conservative Wave - Essays on the Current Dark Times in Brazil, was launched in 2016. In the synopsis, José Paulo Netto, professor emeritus, characterizes the right-wing opposition as being downgrade of intelligence.[21] It is also emphasized the rootedness of reactionary thinking and practices in Brazilian state powers and Brazilian society in multiple dimensions, as well as the challenges that the left will have to face.[70]

See also

References

  1. ↑ McMaken, Ryan (2016). Latin America's Pink Tide Crashes On The Rocks. Mises Institute.
  2. ↑ Reid, Michael (2015). "Obama and Latin America: A Promising Day in the Neighborhood". Foreign Affairs. 94 (5): 45–53. Washington's trade strategy was to contain Chávez and his dreams of continental domination ... the accurate assessment that Chávez was a threat to his own people. ... Chávez's regional influence peaked around 2007. His regime lost appeal because of its mounting authoritarianism and economic difficulties.
  3. ↑ "ANÁLISE: Crescimento de Jair Bolsonaro inclui Brasil em onda conservadora global". Folha de S.Paulo.
  4. ↑ "Existe mesmo uma onda conservadora?". revistaepoca.globo.com.
  5. ↑ Argentina's Ex-President Wants Everyone to Know She's Not Scared of Corruption Probes – VICE News, April 14, 2016
  6. ↑ Noel, Andrea (29 December 2015). "The Year the 'Pink Tide' Turned: Latin America in 2015 | VICE News". VICE News. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Canton, Marcelo (07/05/2016). "Con inflación y desempleo, Macri busca dar un giro a las expectativas económicas". El Clarín. Retrieved 4 November 2017. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ↑ "After a historic default, Argentina is a far cry from its past". Christian Science Monitor. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017. In 2015, voters elected a new president, Mauricio Macri, who promised to tackle the debt crisis and make Argentina a “normal” country. The former engineer and Buenos Aires mayor cut energy subsidies, ended currency controls, and started other reforms that have allowed Argentina to win back the favor of international financial markets. The economy is expected to grow 2 to 3 percent this year. Inflation is down by half.
  9. ↑ "Macri's coalition sweeps Argentina's mid-term vote". CNBC. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2017.
  10. ↑ Misculin, Nicolás. "As Argentine corruption probe grows, Macri allies feel the heat". Reuters. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  11. ↑ Calatrava, Almuneda (2017). "Argentine Clean-Up President Macri Finds Scandals of His Own". US News. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  12. ↑ Watts, Jonathan. "Argentina's president Mauricio Macri fights back after Panama Papers reveal offshore links". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  13. ↑ "Buenos Aires protests: Police fire tear gas as violence breaks out over Argentina pension reform". The Telegraph. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  14. ↑ "The Americas Clashes rage as Argentine lawmakers suspend pension debate". Washington Post. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  15. ↑ Centre for Legal and Social Studies. "Argentina: The right to protest in danger". 16 December 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  16. ↑ "Impresiona video de cómo cientos de manifestantes acorralan a policías". Televisa. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  17. ↑ Delgado, Sofía (5 September 2017). "Brutality returns to Argentina's streets as police moves in on peaceful demonstrators". Express. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  18. ↑ Boulos, Guilherme. "Onda Conservadora". Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  19. ↑ Corrales, Javier (17 January 2018). "A Perfect Marriage: Evangelicals and Conservatives in Latin America". Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  20. ↑ Lissardy, Gerardo. ""La fuerza política más nueva": cómo los evangélicos emergen en el mapa de poder en América Latina". BBC. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  21. 1 2 Soares, José Manoel Montanha da Silveira (2017). "A onda conservadora: ensaios sobre os atuais tempos sombrios no Brasil". Revista Em Pauta. doi:10.12957/rep.2017.30390. ISSN 2238-3786.
  22. 1 2 Phillips, Don (17 October 2017). "Accused of corruption, popularity near zero – why is Temer still Brazil's president?". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  23. 1 2 Watson, Kay. "Brazil's President Temer avoids corruption trial". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  24. ↑ "Brazil's Senate president ousted over embezzlement charges". The Guardian. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  25. ↑ "Lula lidera, e Bolsonaro se consolida em 2º, aponta Datafolha". Poder. December 2, 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  26. ↑ Rapoza, Kenneth (21 September 2016). "Lula's 'Clear Conscience' And Brazil's Inability To Explain Petrobras Scandal". Forbes. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  27. ↑ Fonseca, Alana; Gimenes, Erick; Kaniak, Thais; Dionísio, Bibiana (12 July 2017). "Lula é condenado na Lava Jato no caso do triplex" (in Portuguese). G1. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  28. ↑ https://www.oantagonista.com/brasil/urgente-lula-e-condenado-por-unanimidade-pelo-trf-4/
  29. ↑ Malkin, Elisabeth; Ahmed, Azam (1 September 2015). "President Otto Pérez Molina Is Stripped of Immunity in Guatemala". The New York Times.
  30. ↑ "Guatemala President Resigns Amid Corruption Probe". The New York Times. Associated Press. 3 September 2015.
  31. ↑ Romo, Rafael; Botelho, Greg (3 September 2015). "Otto Pérez Molina out as Guatemala's President, jailed". CNN.
  32. ↑ "Presidente de Guatemala llega a la mitad de su mandato acechado por la corrupción". La Nación. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  33. ↑ Galeana, Fernando (2017). "Honduran Elections and the Resurfacing Of Authoritarianism". Committee on US-Latin America relations. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  34. ↑ "Eight years after a coup, a heated election in Honduras". The Economist. Apr 12, 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  35. ↑ Frank, Dana (January 25, 2014). "Frank: Hernández's election was built on corruption". Chron. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  36. ↑ "Juan Orlando Hernández – the man who should resign". New Internationalist. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  37. ↑ Camila Parodi, Nadia Fink, Julieta Lopresto, and Laura Salomé Canteros (2 December 2017). "Honduras: Mesa Nacional de Derechos Humanos denuncia asesinatos y detenciones tras protestas por fraude electoral" (in Spanish). El Ciudadano. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
  38. ↑ "Honduras: posible fraude, muertos y mucha tensión" [Honduras: possible fraud, deaths and great tension] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: ABC Color. EFE. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  39. ↑ Main, Alexander; McCurdy, Daniel. "The U.S. Double Standard on Elections in Latin America and the Caribbean". NACLA. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  40. ↑ MALKIN, ELISABETH (2017). "Honduran President Declared Winner, but O.A.S. Calls for New Election". New York Times. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  41. ↑ Gómez, Carlos Eduardo (2017). "OAS: "SERIOUS QUESTIONS REMAIN OVER HONDURAS ELECTION"". Latin American Post. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  42. ↑ "Clashes in Honduras after OAS says president vote win is illegitimate". Reuters. 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  43. ↑ Richard S. Sacks. "The Stronato". In Hanratty, Dannin M. & Sandra W. Meditz. Paraguay: a country study. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (December 1988). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  44. ↑ Stanley, Ruth (2006). "Predatory States. Operation Condor and Covert War in Latin America/When States Kill. Latin America, the U.S., and Technologies of Terror". Journal of Third World Studies.
  45. 1 2 Hogg, Jonas (11 October 2006). "Exiled professor advocates equality, democracy".
  46. 1 2 "History of Paraguay, The Stronato". motherearthtravel.com.
  47. ↑ http://www.rabobank.com/content/images/Paraguay-201101_tcm43-105909.pdf
  48. ↑ "PARAGUAY: Mixed Results for Lugo's First 100 Days – IPS". Ipsnews.net. 25 November 2008. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  49. ↑ [8]
  50. ↑ "The boy and the bishop". The Economist. 30 April 2009.
  51. ↑ "The Bishop of the Poor: Paraguay's New President Fernando Lugo Ends 62 Years of Conservative Rule". Democracynow.org. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  52. ↑ IACHR, 23 June 2012, IACHR Expresses Concern over the Ousting of the Paraguayan President
  53. ↑ "Argentina "no convalidará el golpe en Paraguay" mientras que Brasil sugirió que quedaría fuera de la Unasur y el Mercosur" [Argentina "will not support the coup in Paraguay" and Brazil suggested that it would be left out of Unasur and Mercosur] (in Spanish). La Nación. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  54. ↑ Orsi, Peter (2012-06-24). "Does Paraguay risk pariah status with president's ouster?". Associated Press.
  55. ↑ http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/7074
  56. ↑ Press, Associated (29 June 2012). "Paraguay suspended from Mercosur" – via www.theguardian.com.
  57. ↑ "Horacio Cartes: Millionaire. Criminal. Business titan. Homophobe. The next president of Paraguay?". The Independent. 19 April 2013.
  58. ↑ Buenos Aires Herald, 22 April 2013, Horacio Cartes wins comfortably in Paraguay
  59. ↑ (in Spanish) 14 November 2011, Última Hora, WikiLeaks: Cartes desmiente lavado de dinero en el Banco Amambay
  60. ↑ "10BUENOSAIRES5, ZA-09-0007/YAZ1K MARTINETTI, JULIO et al/ OPERATION HEART OF". WikiLeaks. 2010-01-05.
  61. ↑ Reporters without Borders, 18 April 2013, CAMPAIGN MARKED BY CENSORSHIP, POST-ELECTION REPRISALS FEARED
  62. ↑ (in Spanish) Diario ABC Color, 16 April 2013, Banco para “alternativas no disponibles en Paraguay”
  63. ↑ ICIJ, 15 April 2013, Bank Owned by Paraguay’s Leading Presidential Candidate Linked to Tax Haven
  64. ↑ Oliver Stuenkel (June 8, 2016). "Peru: Kuczynski victory is part of a broader political shift in the region". Post Western World. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  65. ↑ "ONPE – ELECCIONES GENERALES 2016: RESULTADOS PRESIDENCIALES". Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  66. ↑ "Peru's Congress prepares to oust President Kuczynski". The Japan Times. 2017-12-17. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2017-12-18.
  67. ↑ "Peru Odebrecht scandal: President Kuczynski faces impeachment". BBC. 15 December 2017.
  68. ↑ "Lawmakers who helped Peru president survive impeachment bid say democracy won". Efe.com. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  69. ↑ "Disgraced Peru President Kuczynski Resigns After Vote-Buying Scandal". Telesur. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  70. ↑ "A ONDA CONSERVADORA". Livraria Cultura. Retrieved 15 Outubro 2017. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
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