This article describes different stages of the indigenous political mobilizations in Colombia, stages which reflect their particular combination of struggle strategies and their different degrees of articulation to the State: self-government, direct action, use of legal resources, and electoral participation. It shows how the Colombian opening to multiculturalism, which took place in 1991 and has been associated with a relative institutionalization of indigenous demands formulated since the seventies, does not prevent the permanence—or revitalization—of practices of resis-tance, as in the case of those called Mingas. In a transversal manner, the emphasis is put on how specific claims based on Indianness go hand in hand with alliances and broader claims in favor of the construction of another society, one being inclusive and equitable.

indigenous movement --- State --- elections --- institutionalization --- resistance --- mingas.

In a global context especially influenced by the obviousness and the recognition of the multicultural feature of contemporary societies, and in which the idea of citizenship is changing, this text refers to the case of Afro-descendant populations in Latin America. We present an overview of some of their experiences of organization and political mobilization that is part of an ongoing study. The examples presented show the continuity between specific claims related to racial discrimination and cultural rights articulated with a discourse of civic integration.

multiculturalism --- identities --- citizenship --- politics --- black populations.

This article analyzes the main problems that the new Political Constitution of Bolivia is facing before being implemented, once it was approved on February 2009. In addition, it also studies how the constitutional provisions were negotiated in order to make the constitutional referendum viable. What were the political conflicts in the critical juncture 2008-2009, and what kind of reflection should be considered as to how the new emerging regional and local governments—together with its decentralized structures—are able to renew democracy in Bolivia within the framework of the Plurinational State? The multiple challenges ahead are highly difficult to confront from democratic theory perspectives.

Political Constitution of Bolivia --- State reforms --- constitutional implementation --- presidential elections --- municipal elections --- regional conflicts --- Bolivia.

The present global recession that sprung out of the US banking and Real Estate sectors in 2007 has its roots in the massive State and financial upheavals implemented in the face of the 1970s crisis of over accumulation. These transformations had as their objective the reneging of the Keynesian, tripartite model of regulation and its association with the ‘Welfare State’. As such, the post-1970 neo-liberal financial order can be best seen as a ‘class project’ to reassert the dominance of grand capital, especially financial capital, both in the political and economic fields. Examining the intricate links between the present crisis and the structural governance changes enacted over the past 30 years, principally in the United States, the fallacies of ultra-growth and the speculative model become obvious as do their class dimensions and impact. However, despite the seeming ideological death of neo-liberalism, on close inspection, the policies so far enacted by the Obama administration make no concerted move out of the past era of financial sector hegemony.

Financial sector --- hedge funds --- derivatives --- subprime crisis --- financial re-regulation --- recession --- depression --- State autonomy --- class projects --- social classes --- monetary doctrine.

As a modern ideology, utilitarian liberalism emerges under the act of establishing objective criteria of secular morality. The greatest happiness principle is taken as the main principle for guiding action; nevertheless, its expression and application differs into versions of utilitarian liberalism. Hence, in this text, the author presents how different epistemological proposals, which intent to give background to moral objective principles and to interpret social relations, affect utilitarian liberalism as an ideology. In other words, in a wide sense, utilitarianism is taken as a coherent set of values and ideas that constitutes sense of social reality. Consequently, and taking the works of Mill and Bentham, an analysis of modern utilitarianism is done. According to it, the author argues that Bentham´s formulation embeds an aporia due to unilateral use of instrumental rationality, which restricts its capacity to constitute sense. The aporia can only be overcome by the introduction of ethical principles, as Mill does, that allows the validation of utilitarian liberalism as an ideology.

Utilitarianism --- political liberties --- civil liberties --- ideology --- representative government --- social cohesion.