Why Latin America must unite against the right Caught between crisis and hope

In a powerful opinion piece, The Guardian dissects the deep political and social upheavals shaking Latin America today—a region caught between the legacy of post-World War II multilateral ideals and the resurgence of a far-right backlash amplified by digital polarization and judicial interference. The article calls for a renewed, solidarity-based progressive vision to combat growing inequality, delegitimization of democracy, and the specter of authoritarianism.

The postwar world order promised Latin America a development model balancing the state, market, and democracy, embodied regionally by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). This model, with its emphasis on protectionism and fiscal targeting to address social inequality, gradually gave way in the late 20th century to a market-centric orthodoxy imposed by global institutions. Value was replaced by price, social concerns were subordinated to free trade, and democracy’s legitimacy weakened. As The Guardian highlights, this shift fractured the previous consensus and sowed the seeds for the rise of a “new autocratic right,” supported by entrenched powers like media conglomerates, the church, and the military.

The article underscores the human cost of these transformations. Inequality, already structural, worsened dramatically after 2016 and exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, plunging over 200 million Latin Americans into poverty by 2020. Such stark inequality undermines the very foundations of democracy. Meanwhile, progressive governments—though committed to combating gender, racial, and occupational discrimination—have often failed to address exclusion on the basis of class, leaving a critical gap in the struggle for social justice.

This gap has been cynically exploited by right-wing forces branding progressive efforts as “wokeism,” accusing them of fragmenting society. Yet, as the piece rightly argues, fighting inequality and discrimination are complementary, not contradictory, aims. The ideological polarization fueled by social media’s algorithmic echo chambers has fractured political discourse, replacing reasoned debate with fear-driven, segmented messaging designed to deepen divides.

Beyond the media, The Guardian draws attention to the “judicialization” of politics—where courts and prosecutors undermine democratic processes. The exclusion of Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2018, the subsequent rise of Bolsonaro, and current efforts to block Lula’s 2023 inauguration exemplify this dangerous trend. Similar pressures beset Colombia’s Gustavo Petro, illustrating how institutional mechanisms are weaponized to destabilize progressive leadership.

The piece also connects regional upheavals to the global rise of Trump-style far-right politics. With echoes in Florida and backing from leaders in the U.S., El Salvador, and Argentina, this movement is accompanied by renewed anti-Latin American policies—such as migrant persecution, aid cuts, and aggressive sanctions reminiscent of Cold War-era interventions.

In response, The Guardian calls for Latin America to reclaim a new solidarity-based development model—one that intertwines economic growth, inclusion, and democratic governance. Drawing inspiration from political movements like Mexico’s Morena party and Uruguay’s leadership under Yamandú Orsi, the article envisions a region united as an active voice of the Global South. It warns that without such integration, Latin America risks sliding into a “fascist abyss.”

The opinion piece closes with a sobering reminder: the postwar model of coexistence, though in crisis, must not be replaced by yet another hegemonic order but rebuilt on principles of social harmony, cooperation, and collective progress—as China’s recent global posture suggests. Ultimately, The Guardian urges Latin America to confront the looming challenges united, with progressivism as its enduring antidote to authoritarian regression.

In sum, this insightful piece lays bare the urgent political fault lines across Latin America and offers a clarion call for progressive solidarity to safeguard democracy and social justice in a perilous era.

By Vugar Khalilov