In the past few years, Peru has experienced several waves of political turbulence. The latest cycle of unrest began when Pedro Castillo was ousted as president last December. State security forces have killed dozens of people protesting against Castillo’s removal from office.

The political questions being posed in Peru and other Latin American countries today have a long history behind them. A century ago, the Peruvian intellectual José Carlos Mariátegui tackled many of those questions in his work, from the legacy of European colonial rule to the struggle of indigenous communities for rights and recognition. Mariátegui died at the age of just thirty-five, but his political writings became a touchstone for Latin American radicals.

Historian Mike Gonzalez joins Long Reads to discuss Mariátegui. Mike is the author of several books, including In The Red Corner: The Marxism of José Carlos Mariátegui.

Read Mike’s piece, José Carlos Mariátegui Was the Great Pioneer of Latin American Marxism here: