Social Movements and the Struggles for Rights, Justice and Democracy in Paraguay

Paraguay is an under-examined, but remarkably fascinating country, where war, dictatorship, and elite capture have produced cycles of popular mobilization and repression. Yet, its social movements are less known to international audiences. This book analyzes Paraguay’s principal social movements since the transition to democracy and examines how, in the context of a weak state, authoritarian political elite, and a deficient democratization process, they contribute to progressive policy, socio-economic development, and democracy. Using critical perspectives in sociology, anthropology, geography, and political science, we bring together scholars, activists, and practitioners of social critique and community organizing. They reflect on movements involving peasant, indigenous and agrarian rights to land and livelihoods, LGBTQ and feminist struggles, labor union struggles, and student demands for access to quality education and social development, while exploring how the particularisms of Paraguay result in differences from other Latin American movements and how overarching regional tendencies may explain the similarities.

This volume is the first English-language book on social movements in Paraguay. As such, it aims to provide a deeper understanding Paraguay’s principal social movements since the transition to democracy. This volume contributes to analyzing how social movements within the context of aweak state, authoritarian political elite, and a deficient democratization process contribute to progressive public policy, socio-economic development, and democracy. In addition, this book focuses on how Paraguayan social movements are similar to or different from their Latin American counterparts, how the particularism of Paraguay explains these variations and how overarching regional tendencies explain the similarities.

The contribution of this volume is twofold: to provide new empirical examples in the study of Latin American social movements and theircontribution to development and democracy, as well as to validate or challenge social movement theories by employing empirical studies of Paraguayan social movements. Each chapter delves into the background to a specific movement, while closely analyzing the movement in the post-Lugo era (2012-2021). Together the chapters in this book contribute to a better understanding of social movements in Paraguay and Latin America thus dialoguing with the existing literature and social movement theories and considering how such studies can further our understanding of social movements in Paraguay and in Latin America in general. Finally, the study of different social movements within the Paraguayan context takes into consideration the links that each movement has forged with other such movements in Latin America, including the contributions that Paraguayan social movements have made to regional networks.

Charmain Levy is Tenured Professor in social sciences at the University of Québec in Outaouais (UQO), Canada, where she lectures in International Development Studies.. Her research specialties include feminist studies, political sociology, urban citizenship, social movements and Latin American Studies on which she has published numerous articles and chapters.

Laureen Elgert is Associate Professor of environmental policy and international development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA. Laureen worked in the Mbaracayu Biosphere Reserve in Paraguay’s Interior Atlantic Forest where she helped facilitate the emergence of local and regional governance institutions.  Her research interests include the politics of sustainability indicators, expertise, and environmental discourses.

Valérie L'Heureux is a PhD candidate in social and cultural analysis at Concordia University, Canada, and is interested in the strategies and influence of transnational social movements, the politics of radical internationalism, and relational ethics. She holds a BA in International Studies and an MA in Political Science. Her research interests include Paraguayan politics, the G20, communication rights and public-private partnerships.