New contentiousness and links between social movements, political parties and the government in progressive Uruguay (2005-2020)

En 2005, el triunfo del Frente Amplio (FA) modificó la estructura de oportunidad política del país por tratarse de un partido político de izquierda, tradicional aliado de los movimientos sociales en las distintas campañas de protesta contra los gobiernos que se sucedieron entre 1985 y 2014. Luego de 15 años de gobierno del FA, cabe preguntarse: ¿Qué novedades existieron en la matriz de articulación sociopolítica del país? ¿Cómo afectaron los cambios a la conflictividad sociopolítica del país? En este artículo nos centraremos en tres expresiones de conflictividad novedosas que dieron cuenta de patrones de relacionamiento inéditos entre movimientos sociales, sistema político y gobierno: la ola de protesta del movimiento ambiental contra inversiones extranjeras directas, los grupos anti-derechos que reaccionaron a la nueva agenda de derechos, y el movimiento Un Solo Uruguay, que planteó conflictos redistributivos asociados a las demandas tradicionales de las gremiales rurales. Estos casos expresan dos novedades importantes. Por un lado, rompen con la histórica articulación entre el FA y los movimientos sociales. Por otro, el surgimiento de movimientos sociales asociados a las demandas de los partidos de derecha. ==== In 2005, the electoral victory of the Frente Amplio (FA) changed the Uruguayan political opportunity structure. This left-wing party was an ally to the country’s social movements in several campaigns against right-wing ruling governments between 1985 and 2004. The FA remained in power for 15 years. What were the changes in the country’s historical articulation pattern between social and political actors? How did these changes affect the country’s sociopolitical conflicts? In this article we will focus on three emerging expressions of conflict that accounted for unprecedented relationship patterns between social movements, the political system and the government: the protesting wave of environmental movement against direct foreign investment, anti-rights groups’ reaction to the new rights agenda, and the movement Un Solo Uruguay, which raised redistributive issues in connection with rural unions’ traditional demands. These cases explore two important breakthroughs. On the one hand, they effectively break with the historical articulation between FA and the social movements. On the other, the rise of social movements linked to right-wing party claims.
In 2005, the electoral victory of the Frente Amplio (FA) changed the Uruguayan political opportunity structure. This left-wing party was an ally to the country’s social movements in several campaigns against right-wing ruling governments between 1985 and 2004. The FA remained in power for 15 years. What were the changes in the country’s historical articulation pattern between social and political actors? How did these changes affect the country’s sociopolitical conflicts? In this article we will focus on three emerging expressions of conflict that accounted for unprecedented relationship patterns between social movements, the political system and the government: the protesting wave of environmental movement against direct foreign investment, anti-rights groups’ reaction to the new rights agenda, and the movement Un Solo Uruguay, which raised redistributive issues in connection with rural unions’ traditional demands. These cases explore two important breakthroughs. On the one hand, they effectively break with the historical articulation between FA and the social movements. On the other, the rise of social movements linked to right-wing party claims.