ABSTRACT
Two decades have elapsed since a tidal wave of neoliberal economic reforms swept over Latin America in the 1990s. The new century, however, reveals a very different Latin America, in which new economic agendas, political identities, and forms of social activism have emerged from the intersection of global trends and local realities. A striking example of the intersection between global trends (technological and ideological) and local issues is the expanded opportunity for political expression available to indigenous societies in the Andean region and Central America. Constructing a new international economic order that is both fairer and more democratic is not only an act of generosity, but also, and principally, a demonstration of political astuteness. "Neopopulism" and the emergence of a nonpopulist social democratic left that hopes to reconcile respect for democratic processes and institutions, the need to address persistent social inequalities, qualified acceptance of "neoliberal" economics, and the opportunities presented by globalization.
