Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. This acute inequality affects virtually all aspects of political, economic and social life, yet it has received very little attention from social scientists. This lecture examines why inequality has been so persistent, why it is so difficult to address and what its implications are for the quality and durability of democracy in Latin America. Democratization, it posits, may have proved easier and yet far less consequential than analysts once thought in the context of extreme inequalities.
Ambassador Bernardo Alvarez Herrera will give an update on the current political situation in Venezuela, including the latest information on where things stand with the referendum to recall President Hugo Chávez. This is a rare opportunity to hear a voice from an embattled democratic government.
Bernardo Alvarez Herrera is the Venezuelan ambassador to the United States. Previously he was elected as Deputy to the National Congress for Miranda State in 1994. While a Deputy, he served as Vice President of the Defense Committee and President of the Energy and Mines Committee...
During his last 40 years as anthropologist, Prof. Varese has followed, accompanied and witnessed the ethnopolitical struggle of the indigenous peoples of Latin America for their self-determination, autonomy and cultural sovereignty. He is now revisiting these years of political struggle and professional engagement in an attempt to reach some conclusions on the role of committed Latin American anthropology in the hemispheric indigenous movement for social, economic and cultural justice.
Stefano Varese is a professor in the Department of Native American Studies at UC Davis...
Chappell Lawson is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he holds the Class of 1954 Career Development Chair. His recent book, Building the Fourth Estate, addresses the role of the mass media in democratization, and his current research focuses on voting behavior in Mexico.
This video is part of the CLACS Digital Archive. If you wish to view it, please email CLACS staff at clacs@berkeley.edu, mentioning the...
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is the constitution of the North American Common Market. It recognizes only one form of citizenship — that of multinational corporations. The North American Parliamentary Union (NAPU) is a democratic structure which will enfranchise citizens, farmers, laborers, small business people and environmentalists in the NAFTA countries as well as Central America. It will broaden the playing field so that our best democratic values will be incorporated into our social, economic and political decisions.
Luis Garzón was the president of Colombia’s largest labor federation, the CUT (Confederación Unitaria de Trabajadores), from 1996-2001. He was a presidential candidate in 2002 for the new party, Polo Democrático, and won the largest support a third-party candidate has ever received in the history of Colombia. Currently, he is a key figure in the peace process, serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the National Peace Council.
This video is part of the CLACS Digital Archive. If you wish to view it, please email CLACS staff at ...
