Call for papers. «The resurgence of the right in Latin America: New coalitions and agendas»

Send proposals / summary to:  publications@cidob.org  

Scientific coordinators: Barry Cannon (Assistant Professor in Politics, Maynooth University, Ireland) and Patricia Rangel (PhD in Political Science, University of Brasília, and postdoc in Sociology, University of São Paulo)

Submission deadline for abstracts: November 30th 2019 

Created in 1982, Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals is a cultural-academic international relations journal that publishes original work. Pioneer in the Spanish-speaking world, each issue is a monograph coordinated by an expert that provides in-depth analysis of an aspect of international affairs from an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective. Papers undergo an external double-blind peer review process and are indexed and summarised in the main academic social sciences databases, such as Scopus and Web of Science.

Subject and content of issue 126:

“The resurgence of the right in Latin America: New coalitions and agendas”

Latin America has taken a rightward turn. The election of Mauricio Macri as president of Argentina in 2015 saw an electoral cycle begin in which Latin America seems to have turned its back on the “pink tide” led by the left that had dominated the region since the start of the millennium. With the exception of Mexico – where López Obrador won the 2018 presidential elections – countries such as Panama, Haiti, Honduras, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Paraguay and Brazil have all elected right-wing leaders. With the election of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, even the far-right has entered office. Moreover, all of this is taking place in an international environment in which right-wing and far-right governments have increasingly taken centre stage, especially in the United States and certain European countries.   

In this context, issue 126 of Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals seeks to contribute empirical and analytical evidence that responds to the renewed interest in the resurgence of the right in Latin America. To date, academic literature on the Latin American right has either taken a political perspective that focuses on political parties or a more sociological approach that emphasises the role of de facto authorities – the church, the media, businesses (agricultural and industrial) and the army – as well as transnational influences, especially that of the United States.

This issue seeks a more integrated approach, one that pays equal attention to both political and sociological aspects with their shared links, complementarities and/or mutual conditionings. It also aims to shed light on the deep social divisions – whether class, ethnic or gender-based – that are strengthened and widened by a neoliberal political economy model combined with a colonial past that often favours the de facto authorities mentioned above.

A thematic approach is sought based on the various areas of power (ideological, economic, military and political) and their transnational influences, but all unified by a central research question:

What is new and what is old about the region's current generation of right-wing actors? Are there continuities and/or contrasts between current right-wing actors and those who dominated Latin America in the past? What are these and how can they be analysed and explained?

Some key aspects are identified in four specific areas related to the resurgence of the right:

• Ideological power: relationship with the media; impact on the content of education and the war against “gender ideology”, “cultural Marxism” and LGTBI groups; connection with institutional racism; the role of the various churches – Catholic, Protestant, Evangelical, (Neo-)Pentecostal.
• Economic power: ties to business groups; continuities and differences in the political economy models and impact on labour relations, class inequality and the environment, among other factors.
• Military power: the role and participation of military and security forces; implications for regional governance.
• Political power: continuities and contrasts between the old and new political formations of the right in terms of electoral bases, organisation, strategy and ideological objectives; the reaction of the left to these changes; the emergence of new forms of resistance.

Each of the mentioned areas may have transnational aspects to their content and development at both state and sub-state levels. For example, transnational relations between political parties and formations; or between civil society organisations such as churches, business groups and experts (think tanks), among others.

Papers may be based on case studies, within a regional and/or international comparative framework, and should make a fresh contribution to the subject of study. We particularly encourage papers from Latin American contributors, and those with an ethnic or sexual minority or gender perspective. 

Timetable of the call:

November 30th 2019: Submission deadline for abstracts (300 words) and a short biographical note (100 words).

December 15th 2019: Authors are notified of the results of the selection process.

March 18th 2020: Submission deadline for finished papers (see instructions for authors).

Selection process: 

• The Editorial Board – coordinated for this issue by Dr Barry Cannon and Dr Patricia Rangel – will make a pre-selection of proposals based on the abstracts received.
• The authors of the selected proposals will receive detailed instructions for sending the full texts within the agreed time frame.
• Before the scientific selection, the final texts will undergo an external double-blind peer review process followed by a final selection of papers for publication.
• All written communication should be sent by email to:   publications@cidob.org 

Additional requirements: 

• The works must be original and unpublished.
• Abstracts will be accepted in Spanish (preferably), English and Portuguese.
• Papers will be published in Spanish with abstracts in English.