Class Struggle and Democratisation in Central America. Historical Trajectories and Legacies

David Llorente Sánchez

Central America displayed extraordinary political divergence in the twentieth century, from the early liberal democracy of Costa Rica to the persistent dictatorships of El Salvador and Guatemala, and the unique Sandinista Revolution of Nicaragua. Despite the emphasis on the later regional convergence around a common model of liberal democracy and economic neoliberalism, political systems continued to exhibit notable contrasts in the scope of democratisation, the configuration of party systems, and voter turnout levels.
This book explains the significant differences in Central American democratisation processes and political systems as the product of divergences in the resolution of three critical junctures that defined distinct historical trajectories of class struggle. Each of these trajectories generated specific historical legacies that account for the configuration of the resulting political systems and provide keys to understanding the subsequent dynamics of political conflict.
Through this analysis, the book contributes to the elaboration of a more advanced theory of democratisation, grounded in a conflictual, relational, and historical approach with a broader view of democratisation.

Biographical Note

David Llorente, Ph.D., is an independent scholar specialised in Central American politics. The present book is an expanded and updated edition in English of his book Lucha de clases y democratización en Centroamérica: Trayectorias y legados históricos (Reus, 2018).

Readership

This book is for universities and other academic institutions, undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, specialists, analysts, activists, wider readership interested in politics, and libraries. Subject areas: Political science, history, sociology, economics, and area studies (Central America / Latin America).

List of Figures and Tables
Acronyms and Abbreviations

Introduction

Part 1 Explaining Central American Democratisation Processes and Political Systems

1 An Extraordinary Political Divergence That Demands Explanation

2 Class Struggle and Democratisation: Components of the Theoretical Approach
2.1 Theories of Democratisation: A Critical Review
2.2 Democracy and Democratisation: A Typology of Political Regimes
2.3 The Class Struggle over the Political Regime: A Basic Theoretical Model
2.4 Structural Conditions: Capitalist Accumulation Regimes
2.5 Balance of Power: Coalitions and Divisions
2.6 Path Dependence Analysis: Historical Trajectories and Legacies

3 Overview of the General Explanatory Argument
3.1 Critical Junctures and Historical Trajectories of Class Struggle in Central America
3.2 Trajectory of Reformist Incorporation: Costa Rica and Honduras
3.3 Trajectory of Revolutionary Incorporation: El Salvador and Nicaragua
3.4 Trajectory of Repressive Incorporation: Guatemala

Part 2 The Onset of Capitalist Development: The Liberal Reform (1850s–1910s)

4 Introduction and Overview
4.1 Overview of the Critical Juncture in Central America
4.2 General Historical Antecedents

5 Coffee Production and Capitalist Development in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador
5.1 General Conditions and Processes in the World System
5.2 Local Conditions, Constraints, and Reforms
5.3 Costa Rica
5.4 Guatemala
5.5 El Salvador

6 Banana Enclave, Interoceanic Canal, and Capitalist Development in Honduras and Nicaragua
6.1 General Conditions and Processes in the World System
6.2 Honduras
6.3 Nicaragua

Part 3 First Political Emergence of the Subordinate Classes (1930s–50s)

7 Introduction and Overview
7.1 General Conditions and Processes in the World System
7.2 Overview of the Critical Juncture in Central America

8 Political Emergence and Reformist Incorporation: Costa Rica and Honduras
8.1 Costa Rica
8.2 Honduras

9 Political Emergence and Repression: Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua
9.1 Guatemala
9.2 El Salvador
9.3 Nicaragua

Part 4 Second Political Emergence of the Subordinate Classes (1970s–90s)

10 Introduction and Overview
10.1 General Conditions and Processes in the World System
10.2 Overview of the Critical Juncture in Central America

11 Political Emergence and Revolutionary Incorporation: Nicaragua and El Salvador
11.1 Nicaragua
11.2 El Salvador

12 Political Emergence and Repressive Incorporation: Guatemala
12.1 Guatemala

13 Subsequent Conflicts and Evolution of the Political Systems
13.1 Costa Rica and Honduras
13.2 Nicaragua and El Salvador
13.3 Guatemala

Part 5 Conclusions

14 Historical Trajectories and Legacies: Explanatory Variables and Causal Processes
14.1 Capitalist Development, Class Struggle, and the Timing, Mode, and Scope of Democratisation
14.2 Political Incorporation of the Subordinate Classes and Configuration of the Party System
14.3 Repression, Mobilisation, and Political Participation

15 Class Struggle and Democratisation: Towards a More Advanced Theoretical Approach
15.1 A Conflictual Approach
15.2 A Relational Approach
15.3 A Historical Approach
15.4 An Approach with a Broader Vision of Democratisation

Bibliography
Index