The right and neo-golpismo in Latin America: a comparative reading of Honduras (2009), Paraguay (2012), and Brazil (2016)

Abstract

Neoliberalism today is being recreated from the action of right-wing political parties, from the circulation of right-wing ideas (conveyed by intellectuals and/or media conglomerates), and, fundamentally, from the direct action of the bourgeoisie, which endow new meanings to democracy. Latin America is undergoing a process of conservative restoration which merits a review of the characteristics of a “new right-wing.” Access to government through new forms of coups in Haiti (2004), Honduras (2009), Paraguay (2012), and Brazil (2016) demands a prominent place in the intellectual agenda. In this context, this chapter seeks to analyze the characteristics taken by the coups at the beginning of the 21st century, against legitimate, democratically elected presidents. From a historical sociology approach, it compares four national experiences, investigating the (national and international) actors and the new forms of dismissal, without detracting from the role of the armed forces, the ruling classes, and their traditional parties, as well as the weight of the regional blocs and even the direct interference that the United States continues to exert in the countries studied.