Critique of Critique

Abstract

John Beverley’s Latinamericanism after 9/11 seeks to reposition the field of Latin American Studies inresponse to what he views as a new historical conjuncture associated with the aftermath of September 11,2001. Whereas in the US and Europe the impact of 9/11 is perceived mainly through the refocusing of foreignpolicy and national security in the “war on terror,” in Latin America post-9/11 is shaped by the politicalascendancy of Left-populist regimes in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina and elsewhere. Throughpopular social and economic programs as well as a “Bolivarian” discourse of regional unity againstimperialism, these governments have rejected the dominant neoliberal economic model while presentingthemselves as a bulwark against U.S. influence in the region. Often referred to collectively as the marearosada, these populist regimes are viewed by many as proof that the Washington Consensus has come to anend. If that is the case, it remains an open question whether 9/11 and its aftermath facilitates a reaffirmationof national sovereignty in Latin America, as Beverley believes, or whether it exposes even more drastically thecrisis of sovereignty, as others would no doubt argue.