The idea of Utopia may be universal, but it has long had a particular association with the region
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThe idea of Utopia may be universal, but ever since Columbus and the European encounter with the Americas, which took place not long before More wrote, it has had a particular association with Latin America.
Take, for example, the proposed new constitution presented this month in Chile. With 110 articles in its chapter on “fundamental rights and guarantees” it is a detailed blueprint for an ideal society in which no one is discriminated against and everyone enjoys equality, though some more than others.
The problem with this search for Utopia is that it coexists with generally poor government. That may not be coincidental. As Carlos Granés, a Colombian essayist, has explained in “Delirio Americano”, a monumental exploration of culture and politics in Latin America in the 20th century published earlier this year, the Utopian infatuation of the region’s intellectuals with nationalism and revolution led them to disdain liberal democracy and embrace authoritarian leaders of the right or left.
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