We are pleased to share that Teresa Ruel, researcher at the Lusófona Centre on Global Challenges (LusoGlobe), has published the article From Land-Tenure Cleavage to Contentious Politics – the Intertwined Role of Catholic Church Hierarchy and Politics in Madeira Island in the Revista Portuguesa de Ciência Política.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59071/2795-4765.RPCP2025.23/pp.17-37
This study explores the protest events and cycles of contention that shaped popular mobilization in Madeira Island, particularly in Ribeira Seca (Machico). The article highlights how historical land-tenure cleavages structured politics and shaped the trajectory of democratization in the region, examining the interactions between local communities, the Catholic Church hierarchy, and regional power structures across pre- and post-democratic periods.
The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the roots of popular mobilization and the causal pathways that influenced the development of Madeira’s political system over the last century, shedding light on the interplay between institutional and non-institutional actors in shaping regional democracy.
