: The shift to neoliberalism unintentionally challenged their local autonomy, giving them a reason to fight back.
Imagine a village where, for decades, the people were recognized by the government strictly as Under this "corporatist" regime, they received land and social services not because they were indigenous, but because they were part of a state-sanctioned agricultural union. In this world, their ethnic identity was private; their political life was tied to their work. Contesting Citizenship in Latin America: The Ri...
: A "crack" in the state’s control allowed them the freedom to gather and form significant political organizations without being immediately crushed. : A "crack" in the state’s control allowed
One day, the government changed the rules. It adopted , aiming to treat everyone as individual, equal citizens. While this sounded like "democracy," it actually stripped away the collective protections the villagers relied on for their local autonomy. Suddenly, their lands were at risk, and the "peasant" unions that once protected them were dismantled. While this sounded like "democracy," it actually stripped