The political in recent urbanism of collective actions in the public space and its implications in some Latin-American contexts

Abstract

In recent years, an urban trend has emerged based on collective actions in the public sphere, which is taking a big rise in various locations in Latin America (Colombia, México, Venezuela, among others) and reaching a significant media impact with initiatives such as "Spaces of Peace" in Venezuela. This article discusses the rhetoric on "the political" in this type of collaborative practices and the capability of empowerment that these actions possess. The article analyzes contradictions, limits and real scope of these practices from the most fundamental bases that define “the political” from the perspective of scholars such as Arendt, Castriadis, Mouffe or Sennet. These analyses will allow defining these practices potential in a productive way.