ABSTRACT
This article provides a retrospective overview of peasant/state relations in Latin America. First we assess the adequacy of alternative explanations regarding the dynamics of these relations, and then we review the actual history of peasant/state relations in Latin America, analysing the forces involved in change and struggle. Also examined is the process of regression, displacement and revolution. The analysis concludes by evaluating the kinds of power which structure peasant/state relations, with particular reference to the social forces involved, and to the objectives and outcomes of peasant mobilization.
