중남미

Going beyond general depictions of convergence in penal and welfare policies targeted to manage the urban poor and the flexibilized working class in neoliberal regimes of Latin America, I address the political causes behind the distinct penal and welfare policies developed in Argentina, Chile and Peru since their neoliberal turn. To explain the initial differences of penal and welfare regimes among these cases and their evolution, I integrate Harvey’s and Wacquant’s perspectives on state policies under neoliberalism and complement them with an analysis of local political conditions and processes, following Portes. The differences in penal and welfare policies in each country result initially from the political regime that governed the transition to neoliberalism – authoritarian, semi-authoritarian or democratic. Their consolidation or modification resulted from the organizational features (technocratic or neo-populist) of the political parties that governed the aftermath of transition to neoliberalism and from the different reactions of marginalized urban sectors to neoliberal adjustments and policies.