Cruel Populism

Abstract

This chapter examines how authoritarian politics in San Pedro Necta operates. It begins with an overview of different Guatemalan populisms in the 20th century, and then examines the populist rhetoric and strategy of the FRG as it played out in San Pedro. It describes how FRG populism tapped into and reinforced and tapped into a sense of powerlessness, as well as the kinds of resentments created by party politics. Authoritarian populism reinscribed neoliberal democracy’s foundational limits as it tapped into wells of insecurity, mistrust, uncertainty, and resentment created by its failures. It appealed to corporeal needs and perceived grievances, gaining followers without ideological resonance and despite revulsion at national candidates and policies.