Quito, December 21 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Some of Latin America's strongest left-wing states have seen a shift to the right recently, the result, says sociologist Francois Houtart, of a global economic crisis – and progressive governments not being anti-capitalist enough.  

“The model of the progressive countries has been a post-neoliberal model, definitely because they give back more power to the state in social responsibilities and public investment, etc. So you can say they have been post-neoliberal, but they have not been post-capitalist,” Houtart said on teleSUR’s “Interviews from Quito.” 

According to Houtart, progressive governments have been forced to work within a “dominating” global capitalist system.

This has resulted in leftist governments continuing to pursue “rightist policies.” This is particularly evident in Brazil, he said. “They don't see any alternative.”

The sociologist and member and founder of World Social Forum also said that regional integration mechanisms such as ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America), CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) and UNASUR (The Union of South American Nations) have led to major gains for the region, pushing back against the world capitalist system, which has historically created poverty and inequality in the region.  

“For the moment, within the unilateral power of the world economic system, the only way is integration,” in order to fight back against multinationals and other bodies that promote profit and competition over “solidarity and complementarity,” says Houtart.

These models are currently at risk, however, given the recent shift in power in some Latin American countries. In Venezuela's elections earlier this month, the ruling United Socialist Party lost control of the National Assembly with the opposition winning a two-thirds majority. And in November, Argentina voted in the right-wing Mauricio Macri, ending more than a decade of left-wing rule. 

Meanwhile, in Brazil, the opposition is pressing harder and harder for the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, who has seen her popularity plummet in the wake of a faltering economy and fiscal austerity.

The rise of the right could lead to the “weakening” of the regional integration institutions, said Houtart. 

The sociologist added that social movements “have a very positive role to play” in trying to maintain regional autonomy and solidarity, since historically it has been these organizations fighting for changes on the ground that has led to progressive public policies.