Political crises in Latin America: institutions, territories, and new social dynamics.

Abstract

This special issue explores political crises in Latin America through a comparative lens that considers institutional structures, contentious dynamics, territorial levels, and the performative aspects of radical leadership. It includes analyses of: i) presidential fragility and the roles of Congress, parties, the street, and non-institutional pathways of removal, based on surveys from experts across twelve countries; ii) a typology of contentious politics that differentiates protest campaigns, general strikes, and urban riots, and their capacity to spark vertical crises; iii) the concept of subnational crises and the challenges posed by national bias to understanding them; iv) the 2019 Chilean protests, seen as an isolated vertical crisis resolved through a constitutional process avoiding systemic breakdown; and v) how radical right-wing groups utilize crises as political tools, reshaping the space of representation. Overall, the Forum demonstrates that political crises reshape coalitions, rules, and identities, exposing both vulnerabilities and resilience in Latin American democracies. This research is part of the Millennium Nucleus on Political Crises in Latin America (NCS2024_065, CRISPOL) and FONDECYT projects #1241113, #1240104, #1231922, and #1251051, funded by ANID Chile.