Few narratives so skillfully combine the pulsating nature of a well-documented historiography and the structural analysis of Latin America's dilemmas as Luiz Alberto Moniz Bandeira's monumental Formula for Chaos .
In this revised and expanded edition of Formula for Chaos , Moniz Bandeira explains how the United States' power apparatuses joined forces with Chile's right-wing and centrist political bodies in a relentless battle to overthrow the socialist government of Salvador Allende on September 11, 1973.
Based on a vast body of sources obtained from archives in Chile, the United States, and Brazil, this work pioneered the role of the Brazilian dictatorship in Augusto Pinochet's coup. Using the Chilean case, the author illuminates the phenomenon of coups and Latin American dictatorships in the second half of the 20th century, examining the diplomatic, economic, and military actions of imperialism.
Formula for Chaos maintains, with great rigor, that the most serious crises that have affected left-wing governments on the continent, especially revolutionary ones, are incited by meticulous manuals of counterrevolution, which articulate economic sabotage, lockouts , ideological agitation, the cultural industry, the press and diplomatic powers.
There's a recurring plot in the coups that is brilliantly unraveled in this work. Ultimately, the book demonstrates that US imperialism is a practice constructed by flesh-and-blood figures who operate at the highest levels of the state and in business to secure profit margins, geopolitical power, and cultural influence. However, Latin American rebellion has never given up and requires the continuous refinement of successive formulas for chaos. There is still a battle for popular sovereignty in Latin America, and the struggles of our time can greatly benefit from the historical knowledge of this book.
From the ear of Joana Salém Vasconcelos, professor at Cáper Líbero College and UFABC
“His works are a rare combination of the writing of an excellent historian and the perception of a keen geopolitical analyst.” – Leonardo Valente, Folha de S.Paulo .
“One of the most respected experts on Brazilian foreign policy” – Estado de Minas
"Professor Moniz Bandeira presents us with new perspectives on the 1973 coup and the many social conflicts and tensions that preceded it, through a precise text that is enjoyable to read and reveals thorough knowledge of the subject." – Luis Maira, former member of Salvador Allende's government, was Chile's ambassador to Argentina and Mexico.
