Capital’s Chaos: Ruling Class Futility Under Late Latin American Neoliberalism

Geography and the Environment Colloquium Series: “Capital’s Chaos: Ruling Class Futility Under Late Latin American Neoliberalism.”

Rene Rojas, assistant professor, Department of Human Development, Binghamton University.

Scholars and activists are troubled by growing political turmoil and right-wing populism in Latin America. Some attribute these worrisome shifts to resurfacing public conservatism, while others point to the rise of demagogic political actors; many more blame flawed governance institutions.

Rojas’ talk offers an alternative, structural account that at best views these phenomena as symptoms of deeper causes. Just as expanding subaltern capacities contribute to unrest and polarization, I contend that the absence of key elite capacities, or ‘ruling class futility,’ is the central cause of instability and reactionary shifts. Rojas argues that business strategies under current Latin American neoliberalism impair elites’ ability to secure and maintain adequate levels of popular consent. 

René Rojas is an assistant professor of human development in Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs. Prior to obtaining a Ph.D. in sociology at New York University, he spent years in Latin America as a political organizer. He serves on the editorial board of Catalyst.