Neoliberalism in rural South America: political trends in peasant-led unionization (2000–2020)

ABSTRACT

This article asks to what extent the political mobilization promoted by peasant organizations in Argentina, Chile and Brazil can be inscribed in new forms of “peasant unionization.” Based on a qualitative and ethnographic approach to the organizational trajectory of the Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Organizaciones del Campo-Vía Campesina (CLOC-VC), this paper seeks to provide theoretical and empirical contributions to the issue of rural trade unions in South America and peasants’ organization experiences over the last twenty years. The article concludes that the peasant movements of the CLOC-VC have created new institutional opportunities for union articulation and organization to better channel class interests in South America.

RÉSUMÉ

Dans cet article, nous considérons dans quelle mesure la mobilisation politique menée par les organisations paysannes en Argentine, au Chili et au Brésil s’inscrit dans de nouvelles formes de “syndicalisation paysanne.” Notre étude suit une approche qualitative et ethnographique de la trajectoire organisationnelle de la Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Organizaciones del Campo-Vía-Campesina (CLOC-VC). Son objectif est d’apporter une contribution théorique et empirique aux discussions sur le sujet des syndicats ruraux en Amérique du Sud et des expériences d’organisations paysannes à travers les vingt dernières années. Nous concluons que les mouvements paysans de la CLOC-VC ont créé de nouvelles opportunités institutionnelles pour l’articulation et l’organisation syndicales, leur permettant de mieux véhiculer les intérêts de classe en Amérique du Sud.

KEYWORDS:

• Agricultural labor unions
• Latin America
• peasant movements
• neoliberalism
• agri-food system

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the activists and activists of the Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Organizaciones del Campo-Vía Campesina (CLOC-VC). In particular, we would like to thank Diego from MNCI-ST (Argentina), Viviana from ANAMURI (Chile) and Lourdes from MST (Brazil).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Oscar Soto

Oscar Soto holds degrees in Political Science and Latin American Studies. He is a doctoral fellow of Consejo National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and is professor at the Department of Political Theory of the FCPyS-UNCuyo. He participates in the CLACSO Working Groups: “Critical Studies of Rural Development” and “Marxisms and Resistances of the Global South.” He has published numerous articles in specialized journals, books and book chapters on social movements, peasantry, political theory, rural spaces and socio-territorial conflicts, and is Editor-in-Chief of PACHA. Revista de Estudios Contemporáneos del Sur Global (Ecuador) ISSN 2697-3677.

Facundo Martin

Facundo Martín holds degrees in agricultural engineering and agrarian social studies, and a Ph. D. in Social Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires. He is Researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and is Associate Professor at the Department of Geography at Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. He is a specialist in agrarian studies, political ecology, water politics, environmental history and digital humanities.