ABSTRACT
Three populist waves shook Latin America's political history: classical populism, neoliberal populism, and radical populism. No other political phenomenon has had such perseverance in the region's history. Its continuity gives the impression that modern politics in Latin America, more than in any other region in the world, have been marked by populist waves that left long-lasting legacies. It suggests that populism is a disruptive phenomenon that overflows the political scenario in times of crises and uncertainty, when charismatic leaders mobilize the masses. The chapter has analyzes the causes of populism, and whether or not it was an ephemeral phenomenon destined to disappear. It discusses the charismatic nature of populist leadership. Populism displaces politics from institutional frameworks to personalist leaderships. The chapter addresses the debate on populism's relation to democracy. Populist ruptures opens a new political horizon based on redemptive and emancipating politics within the framework of a renewed community.
