Why Do They Protest? An Approach to the Determinants of Youth Political Action in Latin America

Youth protest has become central to political contention in Latin America, yet comparative quantitative evidence remains limited. Complementing well-documented qualitative case studies, this article identifies broader patterns associated with youth participation in, or willingness to participate in, protest across diverse national contexts. Using Latinobarómetro data for 2015 and 2020 combined with country-level socioeconomic and political indicators, the study distinguishes overall protest, authorized and unauthorized demonstrations, and issue-specific willingness to protest. The findings suggest that youth mobilization emerges from the intersection of educational expansion, structural inequality, institutional legitimacy, public provision, digital repertoires and gendered constraints, revealing protest as a multidimensional response to unequal democratic inclusion.