Somos hijos de Sandino y Bolívar: Radical Pan-American Traditions in Historical and Cultural Context

Abstract

This paper provides a comparative history of radical pan-Americanism with the view to examining its potential under contemporary geo-political and socio-economic conditions. Radical pan-Americanism has manifested itself in different ways according to specific national contexts and historical circumstances. It has been inspired by local popular struggles against imperialist power and through the recognition of a shared history. In contrast, hegemonic pan-Americanism has tended to be driven by the interests of powerful states and their strategic interests. We emphasise how radical pan-Americanism has periodically reappeared in response to the prevailing form of hegemonic pan-Americanism. Two historical traditions are examined—the Venezuelan tradition and the Nicaraguan tradition. These examples suggest that the possibilities of uniting local inflections of radical pan-Americanism depend upon the prevailing geo-political climate. We conclude by assessing whether the early twenty-first century is a propitious moment for radical pan-Americanism, or another false dawn.

Keywords:

• Pan-Americanism
• politics
• cultural legacies
• independence

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to specifically thank His Excellency Mr Nelson Dávila, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and Mr Joseph McCarthy from the Australian National University, for their comments and advice on earlier versions of this paper. The authors would also like to extend their thanks and appreciation for the comments received when this paper was presented at the ANU Department of Sociology Seminar Series in May 2010 and at the AILASA Conference at The Australian National University, Canberra, July 2010. Finally, the authors are indebted to Professor Barry Carr for the generous time he spent helping us clarify our argument and for pointing out the enormity of the exercise we are engaged in. We take full responsibility for the final result.

Notes

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