Understanding the economic policy of progressivism: Reflections on Raúl Zibechi’s Brasil Potencia

Abstract

Over the last fifteen years, Raúl Zibechi has stood out, among other things, as a kind of chronicler of contemporary social struggle in Latin America. His discipline as a journalist and his trained eye for distinguishing the political novelties that become visible in the most heated moments of struggle have led him to approach, document, analyze and disseminate many of the most intense political experiences in Latin America. From Los arroyos cuando bajan, written in 1995 after months shared with the insurgent communities of Chiapas, to Dispersar el poder (2006), on the communal political dynamics of the Aymara ayllus and towns of the Bolivian highlands, his work has made known the energy of social struggle. This text reflects on Brasil Potencia as a key to understanding the economic policy of Latin American progressivism.