Populism in Latin America

The Economist offers up a good analysis of populism in Latin America, and is one of the very few media sources that is finally getting past the antiquated “leftist” label. Let's hope the U.S. media follows suit. Some important points the article makes is that populist and leftist are not synonymous, and that even “leftist” lumps together social democrats and socialists. Labeling most South American presidents simply as “leftist” totally ignores the political diversity in the region.

The article concludes by arguing that although populists appeal to the poor, ultimately they do very little to alleviate poverty. All too often, populism becomes a platform for personal power, to the detriment of both democracy and equality. Is it possible to have a president who goes around traditional elites and appeals directly to the poor, but who simultaneously promotes transparency, rule of law, equality and democracy?