Lenin in Latin America Today

Abstract

The political concepts that Lenin introduced are widely used, but with little investigation of their content. To reconsider his legacy we must avoid canonization, academicism and dogmatism. His determined attitude illustrates a path to defeat the extreme right, his critical assessment of allies applies to progressivism and his defense of what has been conquered applies to radical processes. Neoliberalism, constitutionalism and the regression of socialist consciousness modify the Leninist scenario, but rebellions encourage other learning. The Bolshevik leader questioned the imitation of the Soviet model and evaluated the relevance of parliamentary contexts. His message is very pertinent to the Latin American strategy of reaching government and contesting power. The institutional blows of lawfare confirm the differences that separate these two instances. Lenin inaugurated the registry of diverse leading subjects of the popular struggle and conceived different forms of party, to create the instrument of a socialist transformation.