Politics in the Andes Identity, Conflict, Reform

The Andean region is perhaps the most politically unstable in the Western Hemisphere. Pandemic violence, weak political parties, and strongman governments combine with widespread economic crises to produce a continuously volatile situation that reverberates throughout the continent. Politics in the Andes is the first comprehensive, comparative analysis of the challenges facing this region, which includes Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. The essays collected here show how both state development and social organization have been shaped by common historical factors, then demonstrate the diverse responses these challenges and opportunities have presented in different parts of the region. Individual chapters explore themes of ethnic, regional, and gender diversity; violence and drug trafficking; and political change and democracy. Book jacket.Burt, Jo-Marie is the author of 'Politics in the Andes Identity, Conflict, Reform', published 2004 under ISBN 9780822958284 and ISBN 0822958287.