Introduction

Authoritarianism continues to be a pressing topic in the Americas. This can be seen in claims protestors voice on the streets, in decisions taken in parliaments, in more or less authoritarian measures implemented through state policies, and in academic knowledge production. During the 20th century, the production of knowledge on the state and authoritarianism in the Americas was always intertwined with the political question of how to possibly transform the asymmetries that limited broader participation in politics through fixating on extremely unequal social relations. In contrast, the debate in the 1970s revolved around how to differentiate Latin American authoritarianism from European fascism, in terms of the validity of a “European” concept in Latin American contexts. When comparing temporally, the debate increasingly differentiates between “old” and “new” authoritarianism. “Old” is characterized by openly military or civil-military rule, a coup, and the destitution of at least part of the democratic institutions.