The Promise and Perils of Presidential Refounding in Latin America

This chapter examines the politics of presidential refounding in Latin America. While the rise of Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, Bolivia’s Evo Morales, and Ecuador’s Rafael Correa appeared to herald the return of radical populism in Latin America, what remained less examined is the wave of refoundational constitution making that these leaders set into motion. Shifting the lens of analysis from populism to refoundational constitution making, the chapter engages with the issue of how we can determine the democratic legitimacy of refoundational claims and constituent processes set into motion by these presidents, given their complex roles as key agents of refounding while also simultaneously appealing to “the people” and invoking participatory constitution making to authorize and enact such constituent change.