This article discusses varieties of capitalism in Latin America and examines whether the ascension to power of governments elected with a broad popular constituency changed the course of labor policies implemented after the 1990s. More specifically, it approaches labor regulation implemented under the governments led by the Workers' Party (PT) in Brazil (2003-2013) and the Chaves government in Venezuela (1999-2013). The main goal of the research is to verify how these governments dealt with the institutional legacies of their neoliberal predecessors. The theory of varieties of capitalism and the concept of path dependency were used in order to understand this issue. It was noticed that the strength of social movements on the streets were determinant in shaping the positions adopted by the government of the PT and Chávez.
labor regulation; Latin America, Brazil; Venezuela
