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🇳🇮 Nicaragua /Culture & Society

Historian Analyzes Global Reactionary Wave, 'Wokismo,' and 'Progressivism'

From Confidencial · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Analysis Named sources Context piece
  • A new book by historian Pablo Stefanoni explores the rise of the global reactionary wave and its targeting of left-wing movements.
  • The book differentiates various forms of the "new right" and analyzes how labels like "communist" or "fascist" are used, often less aggressively in colloquial speech.
  • Stefanoni warns of cultural mutations within 21st-century leftists, including "wokismo" which shifts focus to identity politics, and "progressivism" which remains within democratic frameworks.

Historian Pablo Stefanoni's latest book, "Un fantasma recorre el mundo" (A Ghost Roams the World), delves into the expanding global reactionary wave and the diverse strategies employed by the "new right" to counter left-wing ideologies. Stefanoni meticulously maps how these movements caricature leftist groups, often using labels like "communist" or "fascist," though he notes that everyday language frequently employs less aggressive terms.

The book highlights the varied ways these labels are applied, depending on national and historical contexts. While some are direct echoes of 20th-century totalitarianism, others are more subtle, aiming to neutralize more serious political expressions. Stefanoni's research points to a deliberate, or perhaps unintentional, effort to dilute the impact of left-wing discourse.

The phenomenon of wokismo would be one of those mutations, which displaces the traditional causes of the left towards well-defined identity agendas, such as those related to claims against racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia or extractivism.

— Pablo StefanoniDescribing the shift in focus within contemporary leftist movements in his book.

Stefanoni also addresses significant cultural shifts within 21st-century leftist movements, influenced by technological revolutions, social media, and evolving social dynamics. He identifies "wokismo" as one such mutation, which redirects traditional leftist concerns towards specific identity-based agendas like anti-racism, anti-sexism, and anti-xenophobia. This, he argues, often sidelines core socialist tenets such as class struggle, revolution, and broad equality.

In contrast, Stefanoni defines "progressivism" as largely confined to the democratic wing of global leftists. He cites the example of a 2026 summit in Barcelona, which brought together democratically elected, pluralistic governments from Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia. The exclusion of more authoritarian leftist regimes from this gathering underscored a distinction between 21st-century progressivism and the Cold War-era communism, making single-party states like Cuba inconceivable in such a forum.

Progressivism, on the other hand, has been fundamentally confined to the democratic flank of the global left.

— Pablo StefanoniDifferentiating progressivism from other leftist ideologies in his analysis.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Confidencial in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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