The Pink Tide: Latin America's Left Turn
- LatamSinFiltro
- Jun 11
- 5 min read
The pink tide (or the Left Turn) in Latin America, refers to the wave of victories from left-wing candidates in the presidential elections of several Latin American countries at the beginning of the 21st century. We usually consider that it started in 1998, with the victory of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela. When he was elected, the left was only in power in Cuba in the region.
In the following years, several Latin American countries celebrated the victory of Let-Wing candidates.
Left Turn in Latin America - Victories of Left-Wing Candidates:
Country | Candidate | Year |
Venezuela | Hugo Chávez | 1998 |
Brazil | Lula Da Silva | 2002 |
Argentina | Néstor Kirchner | 2003 |
Uruguay | TabaréVázquez | 2004 |
Bolivia | Evo Morales | 2005 |
Ecuador | Rafael Correa | 2005 |
Nicaragua | Daniel Ortega | 2006 |
Chile | Michelle Bachelet | 2006 |
In 2009, almost 70% of the Latin American population lived under a left-wing government.[1].
Latin America's turn to the left represents the end of the Washington Consensus, this series of neoliberal policies implemented by the various right-wing governments. These new left-wing governments aimed at reducing social inequalities, particularly caused by the Washington Consensus. The Latin American left seeked to redistribute wealth, fight poverty and put an end to social hierarchies.
It must be highlighted that even though most of the left-wing movements were pretty progressist they also had differences. For instance, Hugo Chávez was much more "radical" and populist than Michelle Bachelet in Chile or Lula da Silva, who are considered to be more moderate.
Why is it called the pink tide?
In Latin America, red is generally associated with the radical left, in particular communism. Pink, which is actually a less intense shade of red, therefore represents a social-democratic, and less radical/revolutionary left. This left is rather liberal and does not reject the capitalist model nor the market economy, contrary to communism or other far-left ideologies.
What caused the left turn of Latin America?
The pink tide in Latin America happened a few years after the end of the Cold War and is the reflection of the U.S withdrawal from the region. After the Cold War, the U.S had very few interest to maintain at all costs right-wing governments in Latin American as the Soviets had lost the ideology war.
Furthermore, the 1980s and 1990s represent a period of democratic transitions for many Latin American countries. These democratic transitions were undertaken by the moderate right, which failed to create a welfare state and meet the working class’s demands. This may have played a role in the Left Turn in the region.
Finally, the failure of the previous economic model could also be a reason. The neoliberal policies of the Washington Consensus involved a reduction of State’s role in the economy, markets’ deregulation, the privatization of national companies, and the free movement of capital. In the long run these policies slowed down the economic growth and increased poverty, unemployment as well as inequalities. Under the Washington Consensus, several countries, such as Mexico, experienced debt crises during the 1980s. The informal economy kept growing due to privatizations and the dismantling of state-owned companies created in the 1960s and 1970s through the ISI policy.
The “post-neoliberalism” era
As mentioned earlier, the pink tide refers to a progressist left (except in Venezuela) whose supporters were not actually against capitalism, but rather sought to implement a new model of development based on economic growth, social policies and democracy.
Several experts used the term "post-neoliberalism" to describe the post-Washington Consensus era. The idea was that, despite some changes, the left had not completely abandoned the capitalist model. With the exception of Venezuela, left-wing governments in Latin America strengthened their integration into the international market at the beginning of the 21st century.[2].
In academic literature, some authors defend that even though the capitalistic model was maintained in most countries, this new era included a reorientation of governments' foreign policy. The post-neoliberal era is associated with the emergence of regional integration projects (regionalism) undertaken by Latin American countries, in particular to find an alternative to the historical dependence on the United States. Several regional organizations have been created such as UNASUR, CELAC and ALBA.
However, other authors argue that the term "post-neoliberalism" does not adequately reflect the changes that have taken place and the progressive agenda of left-wing governments, which are nevertheless quite different from previous governments. The left has given new importance to the state, constituting a break with the old model that should not be forgotten.
What were the results of the turn to the left?
To sum up very quickly, this is what the left did:
Nationalize several companies, particularly in strategic sectors such as the oil sector.
Implement social programs, such as the famous “Bolsa Familia” in Brazil.
When it comes to the reduction of poverty, left-wing governments have achieved rather positive results. However, these results could be achieved as the governments benefited from a favorable international economic context. Many of Latin American countries’ economic models were based on the export of raw materials and thus benefited from the commodities supercycles, a period during which the price of commodities soared.
Finally, a new middle class emerged. Primarily composed of workers who, thanks to their work and to the implementation of social programs, this new middle class could consume and save money. However it remained fragile: few households owned their homes and many held down two jobs or worked overtime.
The new turn to the left
After the return of the conservative right in the mid-2010s, Latin America seemed to have shifted back again to the left since 2018 with the victory of Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) in Mexico followed by Gustavo Petro in Colombia in 2022 (the first left-wing president in Colombia in 200 years), Gabriel Boric in Chile, and the return of Lula da Silva in Brazil in 2023. This new left is very different from the first pink tide, as is the political and economic context. The election results of Lula or Petro were not landslide victories as the results were very polarized.
If you want to know more about Latin America's new left turn, I invite you to read my article: "What economic and social factors can explain the new turn to the left/pink tide in Latin America?”
In 2025, the political landscape in Latin America is more heterogeneous, particularly with the arrival of center-right and far-right presidents like Javier Milei in Argentina or Daniel Noboa in Ecuador. The unpopularity of Gustavo Petro in Colombia rather suggests that the left will struggle to win the 2026 general elections. The high polarization in Latin American countries makes the region's political future uncertain.
[1] Aldo Adrián Martínez-Hernández et al., “El giro a la izquierda en los parlamentos latinoamericanos. ¿Cuándo y cómo se dio?,” Política y gobierno 26, no. 1 (June 2019): 93–115, http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1665-20372019000100093&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es.
[2] Jorge Lazo Cividanes and Miguel Rojas, “¿Después del radicalismo la sensatez?: El giro a la izquierda y la política económica en América Latina,” Revista de Ciencias Sociales 14, no. 3 (December 2008): 496–512, http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1315-95182008000300006&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es.
Bibliography:
“El Giro a La Izquierda En La América Latina Del Siglo XXI: Revisitando Los Debates Académicos.” Accessed June 9, 2025. https://ri.conicet.gov.ar/handle/11336/50742.
Lazo Cividanes, Jorge, and Miguel Rojas. “¿Después del radicalismo la sensatez?: El giro a la izquierda y la política económica en América Latina.” Revista de Ciencias Sociales 14, no. 3 (December 2008): 496–512. http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1315-95182008000300006&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es.
Levitsky, Steven, and Kenneth M. Roberts. The Resurgence of the Latin American Left. JHU Press, 2011.
Martínez-Hernández, Aldo Adrián, Asbel Bohigues, Aldo Adrián Martínez-Hernández, and Asbel Bohigues. “El giro a la izquierda en los parlamentos latinoamericanos. ¿Cuándo y cómo se dio?” Política y gobierno 26, no. 1 (June 2019): 93–115. http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1665-20372019000100093&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es.
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