By Federico Fuentes
November 28, 2010 -- Green Left Weekly -- It should come as no surprise that Latin America, a region converted
into a laboratory for ongoing experiments in social change, has
increasingly become the topic of discussion and debate among the broader
left.
Latin America has not only dealt blows to imperialism but also raised
the banner of socialism on a global scale. It is of strategic
importance for those fighting for a better world, especially at a time
when capitalism is in systemic crisis.
Latin America’s landscape of powerful social movements, left
governments of various shades, revolutionary insurrections, and growing
expressions of indigenous resistance and worker control, provides a
perfect scenario for leftists to learn about, and debate, revolutionary
strategy and tactics.
This should not simply be an academic debate. It should look at how
to best build solidarity with these movements for change and gain
insight for struggles at home.
Of late, burning dispute has opened up, mostly among those writing
from an anti-capitalist orientation: a debate over the complex
relationship, or “dance” as Ben Dangl calls it, between social movements
and states in Latin America.