Capitalism in Paraguay and the social question: struggles and resistances of the working class

Abstract

The scientific article seeks to locate and describe how the social issue is expressed in Paraguay in terms of struggles and resistances, demands of the working class, and responses given by the State in the context of the development of capitalism. Critical historical materialism is used as the theoretical framework to rethink the social issue in Paraguay from a critical historical process that counterbalances the traditionally known and hegemonic history. This lived process is reconstructed to establish a basis for the present and to design a future for the majorities, and it is assumed that in every society, economic processes determine the fundamental basis while also determining social, political, and cultural conditions. The economic foundations are discussed to understand the society we live in and to understand the existing gaps in the construction and consolidation of the rule of law, conscious citizenship, institutional structures that develop and implement social policies for the majorities, strengthened labor and social organizations/movements with class consciousness, among others. It is crucial to understand how the STATE developed in the country, how decisions were made, and which decisive moments in history are the most relevant to locate Paraguay as a capitalist country aligned with the world order in the process of capitalist expansion. Theoretical categories such as the socio-historical formation of the Modern State, democracy, class struggle, social issue, social policies, and labor movement are addressed. The article aims to provide a specific point of view with an integrative perspective that necessarily invites further expansion and deepening and serves as a basis for the development of classes taught in the social work career.