• DOI:10.1080/08263663.2019.1581495
• Corpus ID: 159413367

The Colombian Right: the political ideology and mobilization of Uribismo

@article{Kajsiu2019TheCR,
  title={The Colombian Right: the political ideology and mobilization of Uribismo},
  author={Blendi Kajsiu},
  journal={Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Revue canadienne des {\'e}tudes latino-am{\'e}ricaines et cara{\"i}bes},
  year={2019},
  volume={44},
  pages={204 - 224}
}

• Blendi Kajsiu
• Published 11 March 2019
• Political Science
• Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies / Revue canadienne des études latino-américaines et caraïbes

ABSTRACT Uribismo, which refers to the political movement organized by, and around, the former President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe Velez (2002–2010) and his political party Centro Democrático, is the most important political force in Colombia today. Most journalists and academics in the country characterize it as a multiclass Right-wing neo-populist movement that enjoys uniform support across different social classes. I challenge this understanding, arguing that it is a non-populist neoconservative political project that enjoys higher levels of electoral support amongst the highest social strata. Its political discourse combines the conservative preoccupation with preserving the status quo with neoliberal concepts such as the market, competition, and entrepreneurship as the principal sources of socio-economic development. It does not, however, articulate any of the key concepts of a populist ideology, such as the antagonism between the people and the elite or the idea that the people are the only source of political legitimacy. Its electoral support even in Medellín, where it enjoys an almost hegemonic status, is much higher amongst the upper classes.