Imagining a democratic, pluralist and intercultural future for the recognition of indigenous peoples in Latin America, from a critical reading of Laclau and Mouffe

Abstract

Through a democratic vision, we developed a proposal for a democratic, pluralist, and intercultural future, which, although never fully attainable, is necessary for the recognition of Latin American indigenous peoples, their cultural identity, and their participation in the reconstitution of their states. As a starting point, we review the polemical pluralism of Laclau and Mouffe, with a critical rereading of its interculturality, arguing that the recognition of the cultural identity of indigenous peoples in Latin America assumes the existence of a dual and paradoxical relationship between conflict and dialogue; redefines the common understanding of rational
communication; and replaces the liberal «equality-liberty» matrix with an «intercultural» matrix that explains diversity as a new democratic archetype
and institutional framework.