We Are Millions

Neo-liberalism and New Forms of Political Action in Argentina

By (author) Marcela Lopez Levy

Publication date:

01 December 2003

Length of book:

152 pages

Publisher

Latin America Bureau

Dimensions:

174x110mm

ISBN-13: 9781899365630

Neo-liberalism has claimed another victim: Argentina. Since the 1970s, a brutal transference of resources from the poor to the rich has taken place here. The wealthy have exploited the tools of neo-liberalism to make fast profits for themselves and international interests without a thought for the country's future. On the 19th and 20th December 2001, Argentines took to the streets in their millions and said "Enough!" to the plunder: they called it the "Argentinazo", and their demand was "que se vayan todos" - "out with the lot of them" - the corrupt politicans, the interfering IMF, the rapacious foreign companies and international banks. Two years on, it is clear that the Argentinazo was a turning point in the political life of the country. It was a wake-up call to citizens that they need to be more involved in the running of the country, or soon there will be no country left to run. "We are millions" looks at the politics which led to mass poverty and unemployment and describes the rich and varied social responses to economic meltdown and political crisis.