ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors discuss the current wave of progressivism in Latin American governance with reference to questions posed by the Pink Tide and the subsequent movement to the right. After reviewing the history of the rise in left-leaning governments that benefited from a boom in commodities, the introduction highlights the similarities between the analyses of Olaf Kaltmeier and Edgardo Lander in their view that the general quality of life in Latin America improved during this time. Lander's focus pinpoints the subordinate placement of Latin America in the global economy, whereas Kaltmeier's theme points to the inheritance of colonial continuities in the concentration of wealth. The introduction ends by wondering about how much the problems raised by the authors will be addressed in the second wave of progressive governance, with hopefulness about the fiscal and agrarian reform promised by Colombia's new government.
