In the late ‘90s and 2000s, fed up with tired political establishments, voters across Latin America swung behind “populist” outsiders who promised to make their lives better.
Things started off well but leaders like Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, and Daniel Ortega were quickly accused of cronyism, corruption, and democratic backsliding. Countries like Venezuela and Nicaragua eventually became outright dictatorships.
On the show today, Aaron talks to Will Grant – Central America correspondent for the BBC and author of ¡Populista! The Rise of Latin America’s Strongmen. They touch on:
* Why these populists were so successful
* How their early promise soon broke down
* What lessons Britain and Europe can learn
They also discuss the importance of TV to populists, the epic life of Brazil’s Lula da Silva and his struggle against Jair Bolsonaro – as well as why Donald Trump is so obsessed with everywhere south of the US border.
If you would like to buy ¡Populista! AND support independent stores in the UK, check out the strategyaaron Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/strategyaaron
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