Pink tide hits York

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Photos: David Hoffmann

The university played host to a panel of experts last week when the International Development society turned its sights on South America. The successful political event, named ‘The Pink Tide Panel Debate’ focused on the emergence of Leftist governments in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The subject of the discussion, the ‘Pink Tide’ phenomenon, started in 1999 with the Venezuelan Presidential election of the leftist Hugo Chavez. The debaters discussed the situation in each of the countries of Latin America, concentrating on the reasons why it was allowed to happen and why people chose to vote differently at that time specifically.

The speakers included Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas, an honorary professor of the UCL Institute of the Americas, an expert on the economic development of Latin America & the Caribbean. He was accompanied by Dr Chris Wylde, teaching fellow in International Political Economy at the University of York, whose research projects have included Latin America’s neoliberal experience and Natalia A. Bonilla Berrios of the University of York, who spoke of ethnic conflict, gender discrimination and the role of global media.