Utopía y Praxis Latinoamericana

Presentation to Issue 110 of the journal Utopía y Praxis Latinoamericana

Ismael CÁCERES-CORREA — 2025-07-02

This issue of the journal offers a journey through contemporary debates situated at the intersections of philosophy, critical pedagogy, political theory, law, decolonial epistemology, and social studies of knowledge. The collected articles articulate diverse theoretical categories and methodological frameworks—such as Andean relational ontology, Latin American Marxist critique, complex transdisciplinarity, intersectionality, and necropolitics—with concrete issues emerging from the Global South. On the one hand, the edition addresses debates on education as a praxis of transformation, including both historical-pedagogical analyses and proposals for school peace and intersectional readings of educational practice. On the other hand, it problematizes contemporary phenomena such as the automation of labor, the expansion of neoliberalism, struggles for the right to reparation in the face of socio-environmental disasters, and the impact of certain future-oriented philosophies on the denial of present-day rights. In addition, insurgent forms of collective action are recovered, the legacy of the humanities is critically revisited, and new ways of thinking about knowledge beyond the disciplinary canon are explored. Thus, this edition gathers a set of reflections that, from diverse disciplines and languages, raise inescapable questions about the present and the conditions of possibility for inhabitable futures. What follows is a synopsis of each published contribution.

Fagocitation and excess of hospitality just being there

José Luis GROSSO — 2025-07-02

In the entaglement of what Rodolfo Kusch called “phagocytation praxis” and what I have called “excessive hospitality”, the semiopraxis of territorial communities and popular gestae critiques inertial “ontology” and “to stay-being” syntagm from the ancestral sense inscribed in the habituality of eating as older and anachronic “politic” that alters quotidian inhabiting in current civilization crisis, enlarging revolutionary dimension beyond critical thinking does.

Marx and Latina America by José Aricó as a Foundational Text

Juan Pablo PATRIGLIA — 2025-07-02

The aim of this research is to analyze the reading strategies developed by José Aricó in his book Marx and Latin America, as well as the initial critical receptions of this work and Aricó´s responses to these interpretations. These reading strategies are defined as Gramscian translation and Althusserian symptomatic reading. The hypothesis I propose is that, through these strategies applied to Marx´s work, Aricó founds a new problematic field in which the reasons for Marx´s misunderstanding of Latin America are not explained by preconceived answers, such as the attribution of an inherent Eurocentrism in Marxian theory. In this sense, his essay can be considered a foundational text of Latin America Marxism

Gabriela Mistral’s and Darío Salas’s conceptions of education

Jorge VERGARA ESTÉVEZ — 2025-07-02

The first part of the Chilean twentieth century was a period of social and political crisis, as well as of profound historical transformations. In education there were debates, new conceptions and changes in the educational system. The purpose of this article is to present a comprehensive exposition of the meaning of Gabriela Mistral's conception of education as an apostolate and of Darío Salas' notion of civilizing education. Both of them were based on diverse cultural traditions and therefore are different although convergent in some aspects, and contributed to the process of social renovation and democratization of national education. The method of analysis is hermeneutic. The aim is to understand these conceptions in the social and intellectual context of their time.

The Transdisciplinary Charter revisited thirty years after its history

José LEMUS MAESTRE — 2025-07-02

With the planetary-complex decolonial transmethodologies and the transmethod of comprehensive, ecosophical and diatopic hermeneutics, as an objective we re-visit the letter of transdisciplinarity, thirty (30) years of history. We are consulting works of renowned originality in the subject at the analytical-empirical moment evaluating the crisis, the achievements and the expeditious way of decolonial transdisciplinarity thought in decolonial, inclusive and therefore complex minds. While we redeem the complexity of the human being to educate himself in his original framework of creation, in which transdisciplinarity has essential contributions. At the propositional moment we issue our contributions from the rescue of the subjectivity-objectivity concordance; in which abstraction-concretion make sense in the culture-education of being. We adopt the Charter of Transdisciplinarity in light of the results of transdisciplinarity and its achievements today, but also of what remains to be done.

The roads of Latin America: democracy and neoliberalism in times of uncertainty

René TORRES-RUIZ — 2025-07-02

The liberal political tradition has emphasized the exercise of rights linked to certain civil and political liberties to the detriment of the socioeconomic rights of citizenship. The emergence of neoliberalism at the end of the twentieth century consolidated a focus on social risk whose consequences are forceful: precarious citizens living in representative democracies, where they show great discomfort and distrust because they see their rights violated. All of this corrodes democratic legitimacy. This scenario of precariousness, exclusion and inequalities took hold in Latin America decades ago when the neoliberal experiment began in Chile in the mid-seventies and then spread throughout the region. This article suggests that contemporary Latin American societies, which adopted liberal-representative-electoral democracy from the 1980s onwards, experience strong contradictions between the formal recognition of rights and the possibility of being exercised by citizens.

A critique of longtermism and human rights of a non-existent future based on dystopian fiction

Ronaldo FÉLIX MOREIRA JÚNIOR — 2025-07-02

This article examines the concept of longtermism and its impact on the provision of human rights in the present, analyzing the tension between concerns for future generations and the realization of current rights. Through a comparison with dystopian fiction, it shows how this philosophy can legitimize inequalities and challenge the fight for human rights. The qualitative methodology and dialectical method allow for a deep understanding of these phenomena. The work, based on authors like David Sanchez Rubio, also discusses the negative influence of longtermism, promoted by influential figures, on the provision of rights in the present.

New law on the protection of human rights for populations affected by dams in Brazil

Rosaly AZEVEDO — 2025-07-02

This article analyzes whether Law No. 14,755/2023, which establishes the National Policy on the Rights of Populations Affected by Dams (PNAB), represents a paradigm shift in human rights protection in Brazil. Using the deductive method, the study explores the concept of a "paradigm shift" in the legal context, the historical struggles led by the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), and the fundamental principles of PNAB, such as democracy, victim centrality, and integral reparation. It also evaluates the applicability of the law to disasters that occurred before its enactment, such as Mariana and Brumadinho. The hypothesis is that PNAB inaugurates a new legal paradigm by breaking away from patrimonialist approaches and prioritizing those affected as central subjects of rights, strengthening socio-environmental protection in Brazil.

The advancement of technology in the labor market: a re-reading of the fundamental right to protection against automation

Daury FABRIZ — 2025-07-02

Technology has progressively replaced human labor, making protection against automation essential, as established in Article 7, Section XXVII of the 1988 Federal Constitution. Automation impacts both manual and intellectual work, requiring measures to ensure decent employment. Given this, the question arises: how can workers be protected against technological advancements? To address this, this article explores: (i) artificial intelligence; (ii) impacts on contemporary sociology; (iii) the future of the labor market; and (iv) the fundamental right to protection against automation. It is concluded that unregulated automation threatens fundamental rights, demanding an adequate legal framework, professional training for market adaptation, and public policies that strengthen labor income, ensuring social justice.

Looting or arson? A reading on overt insurgent practices

Luis CAMPILLOS MORÓN — 2025-07-02

In this paper we make a reading of two insurgent practices in the context of anti-capitalist demonstrations: looting and arson. We will analyze the shadows of the official discourses of the mass media that label these actions as violent and anti-democratic. Finally, thanks to the study of situationism carried out by McKenzie Wark, we will construct a critique of today's spectacular authoritarian capitalism that silences and excludes all forms of life that do not conform to its model.

Decolonial Pedagogies and Critical Intersectional Perspective: Contemporary Reflections

Jessica VISOTSKY-HASRUN — 2025-07-02

In this article, we share some reflections emanating from our educational practices and research in Latin America and France. We aim to contribute to the understanding of Freirean thought in its uniqueness regarding the decolonial perspective by highlighting the pioneering reflections on the links between education and coloniality in the 1960s and 1970s in Latin America. To this end, we revisit the Brazilian educator's reflections and his dialogues with the work of Frantz Fanon. We reflect on the contemporary context in which we inscribe our practices and the urgency of a decolonizing pedagogy. Finally, we contribute to reflections on a present-day movement in popular education, which has been challenged by the intersectional perspective, suggesting that we find ourselves in a context of a new refoundation of this movement.

Perspectives on education for peace: perspectives from the integral route of school coexistence in Colombia

José CAPERA FIGUEROA — 2025-07-02

Peace education has emerged as one of the most significant pedagogical strategies in post-conflict contexts and societies with symptoms of structural violence, as is the case of Colombian society. The Comprehensive School Coexistence Route (RICE) has a comprehensive approach that seeks to promote peace within educational communities, involving students, educators, families and other social actors. The purpose of this reflection is to analyze the implementation of RICE in the Colombian educational context, focusing on its theoretical and conceptual foundations and the methodologies used in order to problematize the results obtained in various public and private institutions. Based on an exhaustive review of the literature and case studies, as well as the experience of the author in academic scenarios and the respective school coexistence committees, it was possible to identify some of the advances and challenges of this initiative, as well as its impact on the search for conflict resolution and the creation of a culture of peace in Colombian schools. Finally, some reflections are offered as conclusions on the path towards a more effective peace education and its implications for society in general.

A significant Latin American theoretical and methodological advance. Review of PRECIADO CORONADO, Jaime A. (2025). From the Social Outburst to the Geopolitical Community of Belonging. Buenos Aires / Guadalajara. Co-edition by CLACSO and CALAS. 470 pages.

Jorge ALONSO — 2025-07-02

This review presents From Social Uprising to the Geopolitical Community of Belonging by Jaime Preciado as a key theoretical-methodological contribution to Latin American critical social sciences. Through a transdisciplinary approach linking critical geopolitics, complex systems theory, and decolonial thought, the author analyzes seven recent social uprisings and migrant caravans, showing their transition into political communities of belonging. The book introduces innovative categories such as "instituting event," "geopolitical community of belonging," and "people's politics," highlighting the rise of subaltern actors as relevant political subjects. Situated and comparative empirical analysis reveals both the institutionalization and instituting force of movements, making visible anti-capitalist, feminist, indigenous, and migrant struggles. This work stands as an essential reference for understanding contemporary conflicts from a Latin American perspective.

Review of: Gabriel, M., Horn, C., Katsman, A., Krull, W., Lippold, A. L., Pelluchon, C., & Venzke, I. (2022). Towards a New Enlightenment. The Case for Future-Oriented Humanities. (p. transcript Verlag).

José CAPERA FIGUEROA — 2025-07-02

Towards a New Enlightenment. The Case for Future-Oriented Humanities presents a renewed theory of Enlightenment as a critical response to the ecological, social, technological, and ethical crises of the 21st century. Through a transdisciplinary approach that links complexity studies, techno-philosophy, and the social sciences, the book advocates for a paradigmatic shift grounded in autonomy, equity, critical reason, and the recognition of diversity. The review highlights the central role of the humanities and social sciences in addressing contemporary challenges and resisting the utilitarian logic of global capitalism. Rather than merely diagnosing problems, the authors propose concrete strategies, such as institutional reconfiguration, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the creation of inclusive narratives. Emphasizing ethical reflection and epistemic justice, the book outlines a roadmap for rethinking humanity's relationship with science and technology in favor of a more sustainable and dignified future.

Libro completo: PRECIADO CORONADO, Jaime A. (2025). Del estallido social a la comunidad geopolítica de pertenencia. Buenos Aires / Guadalajara. Coedición de CLACSO y CALAS. 470p.

Jaime PRECIADO CORONADO — 2025-07-02

Este libro trata, como bien se comenta en la reseña, de análisis de los estallidos sociales ocurridos entre 2019 y 2023 en América Latina y el Caribe desde una perspectiva crítica y comparativa. A partir de casos como Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Haití, Puerto Rico y las caravanas migrantes, el autor indaga cómo estas protestas masivas, en su diversidad y complejidad, configuran procesos que desbordan la mera indignación ciudadana y dan lugar, en algunos contextos, a comunidades políticas de pertenencia, es decir, a formas colectivas de agencia que desafían el orden estatal y global instituido. El análisis se fundamenta en una geopolítica crítica que vincula espacio, poder y subjetividad, e incorpora categorías como políticas de identidad, reconocimiento y pueblo. El libro no idealiza estos procesos, sino que examina también sus contradicciones, su fragmentación interna y sus límites frente al poder institucional. Se propone comprender las formas contemporáneas de politización popular en contextos marcados por crisis sistémicas, autoritarismos y disputas civilizatorias.