ABSTRACT
Uruguay is a small, underdeveloped, dependent-capitalist nation in the Southern Cone of the Americas. The influence of the Cuban Revolution and international solidarity movements, which were a traditional feature of Uruguayan history, provided other defining features of the Left. The first issue is related not only to the new and firmer commitment of the Uruguayan Left to democracy, the internal functioning of organizations, and the nature of their links to society. The entire Left has revalued democracy and reaffirmed its commitment to democracy, the defense of which cost many lives and much sacrifice. Capitalism was imposed on Uruguay early on and has been the dominant mode of production since the early 20th century. A certain democratic naivete appears in some discourses, provoking an adverse reaction from “orthodox” and “combative” sectors, which tend to emphasize the limitations and frauds of democracy under capitalism.
