Indigenous Political Representation in Latin America (Latin American Societies)

This book presents a comparative analysis of the struggles of Latin American indigenous peoples for effective representation in national political systems in the region. Through a detailed exploration of the political dynamics of indigenous groups and examples of mechanisms of political representation, the studies in this book reveal how power relations, cleavages and indigenous civil society organizations are essential to our understanding of indigenous political participation. These studies closely inspect how collective action builds up at local level in grassroots organizations, and how it then articulates or not with larger mechanisms of regional and national political representation, providing a more comprehensive and comparative assessment of why and when representation works and fails for indigenous people. This contributed volume is organized around one general and comparative chapter on indigenous political representation in Latin America followed by eight case studies, divided into three main groups. The first group includes cases with a more inclusive political environment, such as Bolivia, Ecuador and Guatemala. The second group brings together cases with certain representation and/or active indigenous elites: Colombia, Mexico, and Paraguay. Tthe third group presents outlier cases with potential indigenous issues: Peru and Chile. Finally, the last chapter brings together reflections on how mechanisms for effective political representation can be improved and how indigenous organizations can be fostered to ensure effective political representation. Indigenous Political Representation in Latin America will be of interest to political scientists, sociologists and anthropologists studying both indigenous collective action and political representation by presenting a discussion on how to structure representation mechanisms capable of politically integrate the ethnic diversity of Latin American countries in order to build a multicultural citizenship. It will also help policy makers and activists by discussing the successes and failures of effective indigenous political representation in Latin America. Preface Relevance of This Book Research Questions and General Content Case Selection and Book Organization Contents Chapter 1: Indigenous Political Representation in Latin America: An Overview Ethnic Cleavages and Politicization of Identities: The Basis of Indigenous Representation Ethnic Parties in Latin America Ethnic Parties and the Institutional Environment Cases Study Analysis References Chapter 2: Bolivia and the Second Stage of Indigenous Emergence in Latin America: Advances and Challenges From Charcas to the National Revolution: A Quick Overview of Bolivia’s Indigenous Politics’ Constitutive Moments The Revolution and the Indian World: Agrarian Reform, Campesino Unions and the Reemergence of Ethnic Identities Indigenous Politics in Plurinational Times Final Remarks: The Emergence of an Indigenous State? References Chapter 3: Between Street and Institutions: The Dynamics and Political Strategies of the Indigenous Movement in Ecuador Introduction Historical Background Contemporary Context of the Country Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Rights Indigenous Political Representation: Parties and Ethnic Rifts Movement Strategies: Institutional Representation Versus Social Protest Conclusions ANEXO: Index of Acronyms References Chapter 4: Indigenous Political Representation in Guatemala Introduction Antecedents: Spanish Colonial Rule, Oligarchy, and Civil War Weak Official Multiculturalism, Inequality, and Discrimination Representation Electoral Representation Laws and Representation Parties and Ethnic Cleavages Forms of Political Participation Conclusion References Chapter 5: Indigenous Political-Electoral Representation in Colombia (1990s–2020s): Stakes and Outcomes in Three Decades of Practice Introduction Antecedents: The 1991 Constitution: Pathway to a National Change Context: The Indigenous Social Movement in Colombia, and Its Participation Within the National Constituent Assembly Representation: From “Savages” to Political Representatives: Changes for Indigenous Peoples’ Status within a Multi-Ethnical and Pluricultural Nation Electoral Representation Laws and Representation: New Tools, New Tasks Parties and Ethnic Cleavages: Indigeneity, Nation-Building Project, and Electoral Challenges Electoral Versus Alternative Representation Mechanisms: Multiplicity of the Indigenous Political Mechanisms of Representation Final Thoughts References Chapter 6: Indigenous Political Representation in Mexico: Myths and Realities Introduction History Confrontations with the State Zapatismo Understanding the Indigenous Universe of Mexico Indigenous Representation Usos y Costumbres Electoral System Local Barriers Sociodemographic Territorial Dispersion Political Offer in the District National Barriers Discrimination, Social and Economic Exclusion Political Parties Conclusions References Official Documents Periodistic Notes Chapter 7: Participation and Political Representation of Indigenous Peoples in Paraguay: Numerous Pending Challenges Introduction Indigenous Peoples in Paraguay: General Aspects Legal Framework on the Right to Indigenous Political Participation Electoral Participation and Indigenous Political Representation Legal and Institutional Obstacles Undocumented Indigenous Population Lack of Identification of Indigenous Origin of Voters and Candidates Huge Requirements for the Formation of Political Parties Absence of Affirmative Action Mechanisms and Differentiated Legislation Conclusions References Chapter 8: Indigenous Representation in Chile Introduction Indigenous Peoples as Political Actors in Chile Whom Are We Talking About? What Is the Problem? Continuum, Denial and Violence Seeking Political Representation Institutional Representation Elected Representation for Indigenous Peoples in Chile Reserved Seats, Constitutional Convention and Awakening from a Plurinational Mirage Final Considerations References Chapter 9: Indigenous Political Participation in Peru: A History of Racism, Exclusion, and Violence Introduction Historical Background: From the Colonization to the Coup d’état of 1968 Social Changes in the Recent Past: From the 1968 Process to the Internal Armed Conflict (1980–2000) Political Changes, Social Conflict, and Ethnocultural Claims (1993-Present) Conclusions and Final Reflection References Chapter 10: Conclusion: “The Indigenous Problem” History of Social Exclusion in Latin America Indigenous Politics Self-Government Participation as Civil Society Participation as Social Movement Indigenous Political Representation Exogenous Factors that Limit Indigenous Participation and Representation: Barriers of Entry Promising Experiences Explored Future Challenges Final Words Reference Index