Liberalism By Country - The Americas

The Americas

In many Latin American countries, liberalism and radicalism have been associated with generally left-of-center political movements such as Colombia's Liberal Party, historically concerned mostly with effecting government decentralization and regional autonomy (liberals were influential in the total dissolution of at least two defunct countries, the United Provinces of Central America and Gran Colombia) and separation of church and state. At times, the anti-clerical and secularist stances promoted by Latin American liberals have resulted in limitations on the civil rights of clergy or others associated with the Church (as in Mexico, where law still prohibits priests from public office). Liberalism in North America has a different background.

• In Argentina, the Radical Civic Union (Unión Civica Radical) historically was a progressive-liberal party, while nowadays it adheres to the Socialist International and its platform is a combination of liberal and social democratic ideas. Recreate for Growth (Recrear para el Crecimiento) had been a short lived attempt to form a market liberal party and has observer status in the Liberal International. This party was in alliance with conservative-liberal Republican Proposal (Propuesta Republicana). Also smaller parties, such as the Union of the Democratic Centre (Unión del Centro Democrático), the Progressive Democratic Party (Partito Democrata Progresista), the Liberal Party of Corrientes (Partito Liberal de Corrientes) and the Democratic Party of Mendoza (Partido Demócrata Mendoza), adhere to conservative-liberal principles. On the libertarian side, stands the Liberal Libertarian Party (Partido Liberal Libertario), whose focus is on free markets and individual rights.
• In Aruba, the character of the Aruban Liberal Organization (Organisacion Liberal Arubiano) is not clear. The party lost parliamentary representation in the 2005 election.
• In Bahamas, the dominant party is the left of center liberal Progressive Liberal Party.
• In Bolivia, the Liberal Party was dominant until 1952.(Main article: Liberalism in Bolivia).
• In Brazil, Liberalism (in a general, international acceptance) is currently unrepresented, and there are no mainstream parties currently holding unambiguous liberal principles nor any members of the Liberal International. While at least three parties label themselves as "liberal", the Party of the Liberal Front (Partido da Frente Liberal), renamed Democrats (Democratas) in 2007, is actually a conservative party. The Liberal party (Partido Liberal), renamed Republic Party (Partido da Republica) in 2006, is a populist-conservative party with links to religious organizations, and the Social Liberal Party (Partido Social Liberal) can be considered a liberal party in the US sense.(Main article: Liberalism in Brazil).
• In Canada, Liberal refers mainly to the policies and ideas of the Liberal Party of Canada/Parti Libéral du Canada (member LI), the most frequent governing party of Canada for the last century and one of the largest liberal parties in the world. The Liberal Party of Canada has in the past generally supported a welfare state, but now is most simply regarded as a party of the centre-left. The British Columbia Liberal Party combines liberalism with more neo-liberal ideas. The Libertarian Party of Canada centres itself on free markets and individual liberty. (Main article: Liberalism in Canada).
• In Chile, originally the Social Democrat Radical Party (Partido Radical Social-Democráta, member SI) was a left of center liberal party, but nowadays it is a social democratic party. (Main article: Liberalism and radicalism in Chile).
• In Colombia, the liberal current developed into the Colombian Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Colombiano, despite its name an active member of the SI), which is a left of center, somewhat populist party, somewhere between liberalism and social democracy. Newer parties like Partido Cambio Radical and Social National Unity Party have taken classical liberal ideas. (Main article: Liberalism in Colombia).
• In Costa Rica, the Libertarian Movement Party (Partido Movimiento Libertario, observer LI) is a classical liberal (libertarian) party.
• In Cuba, it have been legal to form political parties since 1992, but only the Communist Party of Cuba is allowed to be the ruling party. The three liberal parties Liberal Democratic Party (Partido Liberal Democratico, observer LI), Democratic Solidarity Party (Partido Solidaridad Democratica, observer LI), Cuban Liberal Union (Unión Liberal Cubana, member of the Liberal International) and the Cuban Liberal Movement (Movimiento Liberal Cubano) is are existing and got their location in Havana, but they are not allowed to get in elections.
• In Dominican Republic, the originally left-wing Dominican Liberation Party (Partido de la Liberacíon Dominicana) developed into a center liberal party.
• In Ecuador, the Alfarista Radical Front (Frente Radical Alfarista) and the Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Radical Ecuatoriana) are two small remainders of the traditional liberal current. (Main article: Liberalism and radicalism in Ecuador).
• In Greenland, the Feeling of Community Party (Atássut) is a right of center liberal party, as are the Democrats.
• In Grenada, the National Democratic Congress is a center liberal party.
• In Honduras, the Liberal Party of Honduras (Partido Liberal de Honduras, member LI) is the traditional center liberal party. (Main article: Liberalism in Honduras).
• In Mexico, liberalism is represented by the Partido Nueva Alianza (New Alliance Party, member LI and Liberal Network for Latin America). "(Main article: Liberalism in Mexico)."
• In Nicaragua, the liberal character of the right-wing Constitutional Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Constitucionalista, former member LI) is disputable. (Main article: Liberalism in Nicaragua).
• In Panama, the National Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Nacional), observer LI is a right of center liberal party, as is the Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement (Partido Movimiento Liberal Republicano Nacionalista). (Main article: Liberalism in Panama).
• In Paraguay, the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico, member LI) is a center liberal party. (Main article: Liberalism and radicalism in Paraguay).
• In Peru, the only political party from classical liberalism roots is Liberal Party of Peru, founded in April 2003. Other parties as the Popular Action (Acción Popular) and the Union for Peru (Unión por el Perú) are more or less liberal parties. (Main article: Liberalism in Peru).
• In Puerto Rico, the Popular Democratic Party (Partido Popular Democrático) is a left of center liberal party.
• In Suriname, the Democratic Alternative '91 (Democratisch Alternatief '91) is a center liberal party.
• In the United States, the primary use of the term liberal is at some variance with European and worldwide usage. In the United States today it is most associated with the definition of modern liberalism which is a combination of social liberalism, public welfare and a mixed economy, which is in contrast to classical liberalism. In the 19th century it was not a common term in American philosophy or politics, partially because the two main parties were a mixture of populist and nationalist elements (indeed, conservatism was not a common term until the mid-20th century as well). The Democratic Party was the party of free trade, low tariffs and laissez-faire entrepreneurialism, while the Republican Party advocated national citizenship, transparency and government efforts to stabilize the currency. Liberalism in the United States was primarily defined by the self-proclaimed liberal presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt. While the emphasis on mutual collaboration through liberal institutions as an alternative to the threat and use of force remained consistent with international liberalism, United States liberals also claimed that individuals have a right to expect the government to guarantee social justice. This was in part a consequence of the influence of the ideas of British economist John Maynard Keynes on Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. The New Deal had the effect of stealing the thunder of social democratic forces and the necessity to prevent social unrest strengthened this development. As McCarthyism gave the terms socialism and even social democracy a meaning synonymous with communism in the U.S., many to the left of center moderated their views, aligning with the New Deal liberals. The Democratic Party is identified as the liberal party within the broader definition of liberalism thus putting it in contrast with most other parties listed here. Democrats advocate more social freedoms, affirmative action, and a mixed economy (and therefore modern liberalism). The Republican Party supports strong free-market and libertarian views on the economy (and therefore economic liberalism) mixed with strong aspects of social conservatism. The Libertarian Party is the third largest political party in the United States, (though still only getting 1-2% of the vote in congressional elections), and particularly centers itself on free markets and individual liberty, which is more in line with classical liberalism. (Main article: Liberalism in the United States)
• In Uruguay, liberalism organized itself in the nineteenth century in the Colorado (or Red) Party, (Partido Colorado) nowadays an heterogonous party, divided in factions ranging from conservatism to social democracy. Its general profile is more or less liberal. (Main article: Liberalism in Uruguay).
• In Venezuela, liberalism was a strong force in the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. Nowadays there are three important classical liberal movements (still no parties): Organization for the Liberal Democracy in Venezuela (Organización por la Democracia Liberal en Venezuela), a classical liberal, pro-capitalism think-tank; Liberal Democratic Movement (Movimiento Demócrata Liberal) and "Rumbo Propio para el Zulia" from Maracaibo, Zulia, a classical liberal autonomist movement. They are going to create together a political party in the next years. (Main article: Liberalism in Venezuela).