Relevance of structuralist and dependency theories in the neoliberal period: a Latin American perspective

A new political economy is being constructed in Latin America, as national economies become radically restructured and transformed and new social arrangements are being created. Latin American economies and societies are reacting to these changes and re-linking to the demands of an increasingly competitive and interdependent world. Such changes are taking place within a continent of democratic governance, providing channels to challenge the new neoliberal paradigm. It is argued in this article that structuralism and dependency theory can play a fruitful part in this process of contestation and construction of an alternative development paradigm to the current dominance of the neoliberal paradigm.