Latin American countries have always been described as quite conservative, both socially and politically, with some notable exceptions throughout the XXth and beginning of XXIst centuries. The region has been home to both the most leftist theology, that of liberation, and the now quite conservative evangelical current, partially characterized by its complete opposite, the theology of prosperity. After decades of military regimes or authoritarian ones, Latin America regained democracy, first under liberal pro-market governments. It then turned to the left, in the first decade of this century, in a move described as a “pink wave”. But disappointment and structural problems have undermined progressive politics, not to mention ongoing corruption and policy mistakes, allowing for the right to gain power, before a recent return of a new left. Meanwhile, political debates tended to polarize, giving way to authoritarian turns. Progressive politics encountered resistances, regarding LGBTI rights, abortion, women’s rights and sexual education. The ‘gender ideology’ has become a topic for conservative rallies. New actors emerged as several public demonstrations have been organized in various countries. Indeed, the religious cleavage, one of the main axes of socio-political division in Latin America during the 19th and 20th, has ceased in the 21st century to be solely the expression of a religious-secular conflict between church and state, and has become intertwined with moral and cultural issues.
The questions that arise here are many. Is religion, and particularly the evangelical movement, the main factor of this new radical conservative space, or is it just one element among others? If so, what are the other themes that conservative political movements embrace? How do these speech topics resonate with voters? What kind of resistance do these religious conservative movements encounter? By whom and how resistance to religious conservative discourse may be articulated? In this sense, this panel is keen on receiving proposals that address some of these questions and dynamics, related to new (religious) conservative movements and the new challenges they pose to Latin America's fragile democracies in recent years as well as the variety of resistances they may lead to.
