“Great Decisions”

Politics in Latin America – with Special Guest Jose Manuel Lezcano

Our next “Great Decisions” topic for discussion is “Politics in Latin America.” We will meet on Monday, June 26, at 6:00 p.m. in the Walpole Town Library. Joining us will be Cuban-American virtuoso guitarist Jose Manuel Lezcano, Professor Emeritus at Keene State College. Renowned as a composer, teacher, folklorist and classical guitarist, Professor Lezcano has performed in Columbia, Cuba, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago (as well as in China, Europe and throughout the United States). A Fulbright Award enabled him to study the guitar in indigenous solstice festivals in Ecuador, where he also taught at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica. As a musician, Lezcano’s perspective on Central and South America’s political turmoil may reflect an entirely different sensibility from that of the political scientist.

Suggested reading is the article “Political Trends in Latin America,” by Jorge Castaneda, available at the library or via email by contacting Jane Malmberg, Library Director: jmalmberg@walpoletownlibrary.org. Also available at the library is the Master Class on DVD, “Politics in Latin America,” with which we will begin our meeting on June 26.

This is a complex topic to tackle, with dictatorships, social democracies and populist governments rising and falling. What does democracy look like in Latin America? Why have left-wing governments been popular? Can the new governments overcome problems of extreme income inequality, gang violence and leadership corruption? How well do we understand our southern neighbors, their contemporary elections, our own culpability, the growing influence of China and the plight of migrants seeking asylum?

All are welcome to join this public forum at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, June 26, either in person in the Hubbard Meeting Room at the Walpole Town Library or via Zoom. For the Zoom link, please contact Jane Malmberg in advance of the meeting: jmalmberg@walpoletownlibrary.org.