Advance ticket sales have ended but plenty of additional tickets remain available at the door.
Profs and Pints DC presents: “South America’s Leftward Tilt,” a look at that continent’s recent election results and what they mean for nations elsewhere, with Fulton Armstrong, research fellow at American University’s center for Latin American studies and former U.S. National Intelligence Officer for Latin America.
Democratic elections through much of South America have given the boot to conservative political leaders and ushered in another “pink tide” of center-left politicians. Come gain a firm understanding of why this has happened and its implications with the help of Fulton Armstrong, a longtime scholar of politics in that region.
He’ll start by walking us through the changes that have transpired. Among them, in nations such as Colombia, Chile, and Peru, former guerrillas and left-wing organizers have moved into presidential palaces. Brazil’s former President “Lula” da Silva will soon replace Jair Bolsonaro in that hugely important country. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, President Maduro has survived coup attempts and aggressive U.S. sanctions aimed at installing Juan Guaidó in the presidential office.
The elections have been refreshingly free of violence, and acceptance of the results has been broad and deep. Nevertheless, political squabbles tend to disrupt even relatively smooth transitions in Latin America, with common outcomes being deeper polarization and erosion of democratic institutions and norms. Can these new Presidents find the magic formula for breaking longstanding cycles of political tumult?
Armstrong will walk us through the debate over whether South America’s political shifts represent a rejection of conservative leaders and their policies, or instead should be seen as a natural expression of frustration over the COVID‑19 pandemic, internal tensions, and distressing global economic conditions. He’ll also explore whether the voters who have embraced the center-, center-left, and leftist strategies espoused by the new wave of presidents are likely to give these leaders the time and resources to carry out their promises.
Finally, Armstrong will also discuss what the latest developments in South America mean for the United States and its interests there. Among the questions he’ll tackle: Will China, which has already made significant economic inroads in the region, be able to rally the “pink tide” presidents to its side on international issues and further undermine U.S. influence? What can Washington do to build better relations with that region’s nations? (Advance tickets: $12. Doors: $15, or $13 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) during his successful 2022 campaign to return to office as Brazil’s president. (Photo: Thayse Ribeiro, Creative Commons.)