Mariátegui and Latin American Marxist Theory — (1993)

By Marc Becker

“Marc Becker’s work…is a succinct account of Mariátegui’s thought and work…. This book makes excellent reading whilst giving the reader valuable information on Mariátegui himself, and his influence on and the nature of revolutionary change in Latin America.”

The British Bulletin

“This well-documented account distinguishes carefully between direct and indirect influences of Mariátegui’s ideas…. It establishes tangible influences, and a broader affinity with subsequent Latin American revolutionary thought.”

Paul Cammack — Political Studies

José Carlos Mariátegui, the Peruvian political theorist of the 1920s, was instrumental in developing an indigenous Latin American revolutionary Marxist theory. He rejected a rigid, orthodox interpretation of Marxism and applied his own creative elements, which he believed could move a society to revolutionary action without the society having to depend upon more traditional economic factors. His interpretation of Peruvian history had a profound effect upon subsequent social movements throughout Latin America.

This volume reviews the essential elements of Mariátegui's thought and important influences on his intellectual development. It demonstrates the role he played in defining a Latin american identity, the nature of his intellectual contribution to the development of indigenous revolutionary movements in Latin America, and the inflluence he had on successful revolutionary movements in Cuba and Nicaragua. An understanding of Mariátegui's thought is fundamental to understanding the nature of revolutionary changes in Latin America.