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    Meltem Akgül
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    This document summarizes a paper about the limits of counter-neoliberal reform in Bolivia and the expansion of mining despite efforts towards post-extractivism. It makes three key points: 1) Bolivia experienced strong mining expansion in the last decade due to high commodity prices and previous liberalization policies, but plans to reduce dependency on mineral exports failed because reforms did not significantly change the economic dominance of transnational mining firms. 2) Mining expansion caused severe socio-environmental impacts and conflicts over water use, health, and indigenous land rights, yet environmental legislation and controls were not strengthened enough to reduce these issues due to the influence of mining firms. 3) The post-neoliberal

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    International Development Course Lecture Note

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    This document summarizes a paper about the limits of counter-neoliberal reform in Bolivia and the expansion of mining despite efforts towards post-extractivism. It makes three key points: 1) Bolivia experienced strong mining expansion in the last decade due to high commodity prices and previous liberalization policies, but plans to reduce dependency on mineral exports failed because reforms did not significantly change the economic dominance of transnational mining firms. 2) Mining expansion caused severe socio-environmental impacts and conflicts over water use, health, and indigenous land rights, yet environmental legislation and controls were not strengthened enough to reduce these issues due to the influence of mining firms. 3) The post-neoliberal

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    32 views4 pages

    International Development-Lecture Note

    Uploaded by

    Meltem Akgül
    This document summarizes a paper about the limits of counter-neoliberal reform in Bolivia and the expansion of mining despite efforts towards post-extractivism. It makes three key points: 1) Bolivia experienced strong mining expansion in the last decade due to high commodity prices and previous liberalization policies, but plans to reduce dependency on mineral exports failed because reforms did not significantly change the economic dominance of transnational mining firms. 2) Mining expansion caused severe socio-environmental impacts and conflicts over water use, health, and indigenous land rights, yet environmental legislation and controls were not strengthened enough to reduce these issues due to the influence of mining firms. 3) The post-neoliberal

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    of 4

    08/04/2016

    Neoliberalism is NOTthe issue


    (quote from J.Martinez Alier)
    Limitstocounterneoliberalreform
    Miningexpansionandthemarginalisationof
    postextractivistforcesinBolivia
    DiegoAndreucci |AutonomousUniversityofBarcelona
    IsabellaRadhuber |UniversityofCambridge

    Although it is truethat the WashingtonConsensus ledtonewlaws


    on mining inLatin America,although it is also truethat
    transnational USor European companies have much political
    power
    the March ofSocialMetabolism towards the commodity frontiers
    would besimilarunder aKeynesian socialdemocratic economy
    andit does not matter very much if it is Petrobrasor Repsolor Oxy
    or aChinese company which takes upyour oil from indigenous
    territories inAmazonia.

    Boliviaexperiencedastrongexpansionofmining
    inthelastdecade

    Boliviaexperiencedastrongexpansionofmining
    inthelastdecade

    Cycleofhighcommodityprices
    Highdemand,growinginvestments
    Previousliberalisation(19852005)
    Favourableconditionsforforeigninvestors

    08/04/2016

    Boliviaexperiencedastrongexpansionofmining
    inthelastdecade

    Miningexpansioncausedasharpincrease
    insocioenvironmentalimpactsandconflicts

    Cycleofhighcommodityprices
    Highdemand,growinginvestments

    Intensewateruseandcontamination
    Impactsonlivelihoodandhealth

    Previousliberalisation(19852005)
    Favourableconditionsforforeigninvestors

    CaseofthelakePoop Basin
    Declaredenvironmentalemergencyin2009

    Yet,planstoovercomemineralexportdependency
    Industrialisation,communitybasedproduction

    UnprecedentedcentralityofEJrelatedissues
    E.g.,indigenouspeasantterritorialrights

    ThelakePoop basinisoneofthemost
    miningimpactedareasinBolivia

    Analysingthesecontradictionscarefully
    hasimportantimplicationsforpoliticalstrategy

    1.Whyminingexpanded
    Besidespriceincentiveswhyplansfailed
    2.Whysocioenvironmentalimpactsnotreduced
    Despitecentralityofnewnarrativesandactors
    3.Howbothrelatetopostneoliberalturn
    Politicaleconomicandsocialreconfigurations

    08/04/2016

    1.Miningexpansionrelatedtolimitedreformofthesector

    Increasedpresenceofthestate
    yeteconomicallynotsignificant

    Results

    Reinforceddominanceoftransnationalfirms
    Favourableconditionsmaintained
    Bourgeoningcooperativesector
    Classalliancewithtransnationals

    Miningexpansionrelatedtolimitedreformofthesector
    2.LimitingmeasuresforthepromotionofEJ
    wasnecessaryforminingexpansion
    Environmentallegislationnotchanged
    Despitenewprinciplesandnarratives
    Insufficientcapacityforenvironmentalcontrols
    Defactoselfcontroloffirms

    TwowayrelationshipbetweenEJandmining
    Notjustanoutcomeofextraction,alsoafactor

    08/04/2016

    3.Reformreflectedchangesinthesocialpowerbalance,
    mediatedbythestate

    Empowermentofneoliberalsocialsectors
    Keyroleofcooperativesinopposingregulation
    Recomposition ofconflictwithnationalright
    Guaranteesstabilityyetlimitsextentofreform

    Conclusions

    Indigenousmovementsincreasinglydemobilised
    Marginalisationofpostextractivistforces

    Weneedtounderstandenvironmentaljusticeissues
    inrelationtobroaderpoliticaleconomicprocesses

    Postneoliberalismisnotallofthesame
    Yetnotsufficienttoreduceresourcedependency
    Thestateisacondensationofsocialrelations
    Extractivismisnotjustachoiceofgovernments

    Implicationsforenvironmentaljusticestruggles?

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