Defying Power: A Comparative Analysis of Protests in Latin America (2010-2020) and the Rise of the Anti-Establislm1ent Wave

Since 2011, Latin America has experienced an unprecedented wave of socio-political upheaval, marked by widespread anti- establishment protests. This dissertation investigates this protest wave, highlighting its istinctiveness fom the anti- neo liberal protest cycle during the 1990s and 2000s, while situating it within the broader context on the "new global wave of social protests." The first chapter maps the contemporary protest landscape in Latin America using a cross-national, sequential comparative methodology, employing rotest Event Analysis (PEA). The second chapter develops a conceptual famework to understand this anti-establishment protest wave, focusing on significant protests in Chile, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, with moderate activity in Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, and Panama, and limited occurrences in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico. The third chapter utilizes Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify the combinations ofcausal conditions driving these mobilizations. This interdisciplinary research enhances understanding of Latin American protests and their global resonances, contributing to discussions on democracy, protest dynamics, and institutional resilience.