Capitalism, Class and Revolution in Peru, 1980-2016 (Social Movements and Transformation)

In an analysis of political, economic, and social development in Peru in the years between 1980 and 2016, this book explores the failure of the socialist Left to realize its project of revolutionary social transformation. Based on extensive interviews with leading cadres in the struggle for revolutionary change and a profound review of documents from the principal socialist organizations of the 1980s and 1990s, the volume reveals that the socialist Left did not fully comprehend the deep political and social implications of changes to the country's class structures. As such, the Left failed to develop and implement adequate strategic and tactical responses to the processes that eroded its political and social bases in the 1980s and 1990s, ultimately leading to its loss of social and political power. Lust concludes that the continued political and organizational agony of the Peruvian socialist Left and the hegemony of neoliberalism in society is a product of the dialectical interplay between the objective and subjective conditions that determine Peruvian capitalist development.-- Provided by publisher Acknowledgements 7 Contents 9 Abbreviations 12 List of Tables 15 List of Graphs 19 Chapter 1 Introduction 21 1.1 Objective of the Book 23 1.2 Filling the Gap 24 1.3 Class Analysis 25 1.4 Structure of the Book 26 References 29 Chapter 2 Neoliberalism and the Socialist Left in Peru: An Epochal Change 31 2.1 The 1990s: Epoch-Breaking and Epoch-Making 32 2.2 The Erosion of the Political and Social Bases of the Socialist Left 36 References 41 Chapter 3 Class and Class Structure in Peru 45 3.1 Class and Class Structure 46 3.2 Class Consciousness and Class Struggle 48 3.3 Definition of Class 51 3.4 Data on the Peruvian Class Structure 52 3.5 Occupation and Class 53 3.6 Classes in Peru 59 References 64 Chapter 4 Capitalist Economic Development in Peru: 1980–2016 67 4.1 The Dynamics of Capitalist Development and Its Principal Contradictions 68 4.2 A Dependency Theory Perspective on Peripheral Capitalist Development 72 4.3 A Chronological Account of the Main Economic Developments and Economic Policy Decisions: 1980–2016 73 4.4 Peru’s Role in the International Division of Labor and Its Economic Development Model 85 4.5 The Structure of the Peruvian Economy 91 4.6 Dynamics of Capital Accumulation (The Profit Rate) 97 4.7 The Capitalist Subsistence Economy 101 Appendix 4.1: Distribution of Private Companies (LLC and Natural Persons) According to Economic Activities: 2012–2016 122 Appendix 4.2: Calculation of the Profit Rate of Peru: 1980–2014 125 Appendix 4.3: Calculation of the Rate of Exploitation of Peru: 1980–2014 126 References 127 Chapter 5 The Changing Class Structure of Peru: 1980–2016 136 5.1 The Bourgeoisie 138 5.2 The Intermediate Class 147 5.3 The Proletariat 150 5.4 The Peasantry and the Rural Bourgeoisie 156 5.5 Non-remunerated Family Workers 159 5.6 The Class Structure of Peru: 1980–2016 162 5.7 Conclusions 165 References 170 Chapter 6 The Class Struggle and the Socialist Left: 1980–2016 175 6.1 The Class Struggle and the Left Under Military Dictatorship: 1970–1980 176 6.2 The Proletariat Versus Capital: 1980–1990 185 6.3 The Socialist Left in the 1980s and 1990s 190 6.4 The Armed Struggle of the PCP-SL and the MRTA 194 6.5 The Class Struggle from Above: 1990–2000 201 6.6 Trade Union Power: 2000–2016 207 6.7 The Left and Civil Society 212 6.8 The Electoral Participation of the Socialist Left 216 6.9 Class Struggle in the Countryside: 2000–2016 218 6.9.1 Class Struggle Against the Conga Project 221 6.9.2 The Class Enemies of the Communities and the Small Peasantry 226 6.9.3 Weaknesses of the Struggle Against Mining Capital 228 6.10 Conclusions 230 References 247 Chapter 7 The Erosion of the Political and Social Bases of the Socialist Left 261 7.1 The Political and Social Bases of the Socialist Left 264 7.2 Class Consciousness 264 7.3 The Class Structure and the Legal Socialist Left 266 7.4 The Class Structure and the Armed Socialist Left 271 7.5 Political Work and Social Bases 274 7.6 The Weakening of the Trade Unions and the Neoliberal Ideology 276 7.7 The Reduction of the Social Bases of the Legal Socialist Left 277 7.8 Political Work in a Changed Social and Economic Environment 278 7.9 Social Reality and Revolutionary Practice 280 7.10 Conclusions 282 References 290 Chapter 8 Conclusions 295 Reference 307 Index 308 Annotation In an analysis of political, economic, and social development in Peru in the years between 1980 and 2016, this book explores the failure of the socialist Left to realize its project of revolutionary social transformation. Based on extensive interviews with leading cadres in the struggle for revolutionary change and a profound review of documents from the principal socialist organizations of the 1980s and 1990s, the volume reveals that the socialist Left did not fully comprehend the deep political and social implications of changes to the country's class structures. As such, the Left failed to develop and implement adequate strategic and tactical responses to the processes that eroded its political and social bases in the 1980s and 1990s, ultimately leading to its loss of social and political power. Lust concludes that the continued political and organizational agony of the Peruvian socialist Left and the hegemony of neoliberalism in society is a product of the dialectical interplay between the objective and subjective conditions that determine Peruvian capitalist development In an analysis of political, economic, and social development in Peru in the years between 1980-2016, this book explores the failure of the socialist Left to realize its project of revolutionary social transformations. Based on extensive interviews with leading cadres in the struggle for revolutionary change and a profound review of documents from the principal socialist organizations of the 1980s and 1990s, the volume reveals that the socialist Left did not fully comprehend the deep political and social implications of changes to the country's class structures. As such, the Left failed to develop and implement adequate strategic and tactical responses to the processes that eroded its political and social bases in the 1980s and 1990s, ultimately leading to its loss of social and political power. Lust concludes that the continued political and organizational agony of the Peruvian socialist Left and the hegemony of neoliberalism in society is a product of the dialectical interplay between the objective and subjective conditions that determine Peruvian capitalist development--back cover Front Matter ....Pages i-xxii Introduction (Jan Lust)....Pages 1-10 Neoliberalism and the Socialist Left in Peru: An Epochal Change (Jan Lust)....Pages 11-24 Class and Class Structure in Peru (Jan Lust)....Pages 25-46 Capitalist Economic Development in Peru: 1980–2016 (Jan Lust)....Pages 47-115 The Changing Class Structure of Peru: 1980–2016 (Jan Lust)....Pages 117-155 The Class Struggle and the Socialist Left: 1980–2016 (Jan Lust)....Pages 157-242 The Erosion of the Political and Social Bases of the Socialist Left (Jan Lust)....Pages 243-276 Conclusions (Jan Lust)....Pages 277-289 Back Matter ....Pages 291-299