Squatters and the Politics of Marginality in Uruguay

María José Álvarez-Rivadulla is Associate Professor of Sociology at the Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia.

• 1.Introduction .- 2. The Case of Montevideo .- 3. The Cycle of Land Invasions .-4. Accretion Invasions: A Story of an Unlikely Contention (1979-1990) .- 5. Planned Squatting and Politics .- 6. Politics on the Ground .- 7. Conclusion.

“Using color-coded maps and figures, Álvarez demonstrates patterns associating the timing, location, type of settlement, and brokerage. … The book’s structure, with the methodological discussion and the quantitative analysis in appendixes, makes it a good fit for both undergraduate and graduate syllabi. The historical sweep and ethnographic approach make it a good read, with interesting details, such as the reason Uruguayans have a unique and sarcastic word for shantytowns: cantegriles.” (Benjamin Goldfrank, Latin American Politics and Society, Vol. 60 (03), August, 2018)