Ascenção e declínio dos partidos-movimento na América do Sul: MAS, Pachakutik e Tekojojá

Abstract

This work is about the fenomenon of the party-movements, political parties that, at first sight, do not present the structure of a party, but rather of a social movement. It is took as case studies the Movement towards Socialism (MAS), from Bolivia, the Movement Popular Unity Pachakutik (MUPP) from Equador, and the Popular Movement Tekojojá (MPT) from Paraguay. Besides being electoral platforms originated from social movement clusters and public demonstrations, they call themselves movements and not parties stritu sensu. They resemble, to some extent, the old socialist parties from Western Europe, like the British Labour Party, regarding its fragmented and less centralized organizational style. It is the model of organization of the socialist parties prior to the more rigid model of the Leninist and communist parties. The party-movements arise as a reaction to the neoliberal reforms during the 80’s and 90’s, but also as the rearticulation of the left in face of the fall of the so called real socialism in 1990. It is a kind of retaking of the first socialist parties, however, with a much wider diversity of content, including ethnic and nationalist discourses. However, they do not break up definitely with classical Marxism, neither with the kind of party organization from classic communist parties.