by PublicABCP
Translated and reviewed by Matheus Lucas Hebling
The transformations of Latin America’s political right in recent decades are the focus of The Recasting of the Latin American Right: Polarization and Conservative Reactions, edited by André Borges (University of Brasília), Ryan Lloyd (Google analyst), and Gabriel Vommaro (Universidad Nacional San Martín). Published by Cambridge University Press in 2024, the book examines how right-wing parties and movements responded to the rise of the left that marked the 2000s.
The collection is the result of an international collaborative project funded by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) and the Ford Foundation, bringing together contributions from more than 20 researchers across Brazil, Chile, Venezuela, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
The book’s main objective is to understand the strategies adopted by the Latin American right after the rise of left-wing governments in the early 2000s, as well as the factors that explain the resilience and electoral success of new conservative parties and movements. Divided into two parts, the volume first examines the formation and adaptation of right-wing parties, focusing on the construction of their organizational and ideological bases. The second section explores how the right reacted to cultural and political changes over the past decade.
One of the book’s key findings is the shift in focus of right-wing parties founded after the 2000s, which began to prioritize cultural and religious issues over predominantly economic agendas. This new right is defined by conservative positions on LGBT rights, abortion, and gender, along with the defense of traditional values and hardline policies against crime.
The research also identifies a trend of radicalization in the region, with far-right parties combining harsh criticism of political elites and the democratic system with appeals to evangelical voters, particularly in Brazil and Chile.
Despite the growing visibility and electoral strength of conservative forces, the authors found no evidence that Latin American voters have become more conservative over the past decades. On the contrary, surveys show a gradual adoption of more progressive attitudes toward cultural issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion. However, increasing polarization around these topics has allowed new right-wing parties to mobilize segments of society that perceive legislative and cultural change as threats to their traditional values.
With its broad and multidimensional analysis, The Recasting of the Latin American Right makes an important contribution to the study of contemporary Latin American politics. By combining theoretical approaches with empirical studies, the book provides a valuable reference for understanding conservative forces and their influence in today’s political landscape.
Editors’ profiles
André Borges is an Associate Professor at the University of Brasília (UnB). He holds a master’s degree in Administration from the Federal University of Bahia (2000) and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Oxford (2005). He was a Visiting Professor at the University of California, San Diego (August 2019 – February 2020).
Ryan Lloyd holds a PhD in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. He was previously a postdoctoral researcher at the University of São Paulo and Visiting Assistant Professor of International Studies at Centre College. His research has been published in journals such as Public Opinion Quarterly and Electoral Studies. He currently works at Google.
Gabriel Vommaro is Professor of Political Sociology at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín and a researcher at CONICET in Argentina. He earned his PhD in Sociology from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. His recent books include Conservatives against the Tide (2023) and Diminished Parties (2021).
Technical details
- Title: The Recasting of the Latin American Right: Polarization and Conservative Reactions
- Editors: André Borges, Ryan Lloyd, and Gabriel Vommaro
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- Publication Year: 2024
- ISBN: 978-1009427401
- Available at: Cambridge University Press
