Approximate reading time: 1 minute, 1 second
On December 9 and 10, 2023, the Salvador Allende Auditorium of the Academia de Humanismo Cristiano University in Santiago de Chile witnessed a momentous event: the Latin American Meeting of Human Rights and Peoples for a Rebel, Revolutionary, America. Anti-imperialist and Anti-capitalist, organized by the Human Rights Movement for the Full Life of the People and the Revolution.
During this meeting, which highlights the participation of political scientist Juan Carlos Gómez Leyton, deep ideas and reflections on current political and social events in Latin America and the Caribbean were discussed. A forceful thesis was presented that raises the “bad hour” of liberal democracy, progressivism and the left in the region. It is argued that we find ourselves in a moment of historical transition, marked by the decline of the capitalist system and a civilizational crisis that threatens both human life and natural balance.
In the analysis presented, the terminal crisis of liberal democracy stands out, evidenced in the Latin American and Caribbean context. Unlike previous periods of crisis, where socialism and revolution were solid responses, it is proposed that currently there is no consolidated historical and political alternative.
The failure of left-wing progressivism and the apparent absence of a vigorous left are presented as crucial challenges. The urgency lies in the reconstruction of a left that not only opposes neoliberalism, but mainly offers an alternative to the ongoing civilizational crisis.
In clear words, it is time to take the reins of history to avoid the devastation of both humanity and nature. This meeting highlights the pressing need to build an alternative path that transcends the limitations of the present and projects towards a more just, equitable and sustainable future for all.