ELLA Guide: Latin American Approaches to Extractive Industry Conflict

Abstract

The rapid expansion of extractive industries in Latin America is transforming the societies and territories in which it is occurring. This phenomenon has provoked social and environmental conflict, especially involving the rural and indigenous communities that are most immediately affected. How are Latin American countries seeking to mitigate and avoid such conflicts? This Guide reviews the underlying causes and actors involved in extractive industries conflict, then analyses Latin American countries’ responses and policies in recent years. It also assesses the contextual and other factors that have enabled these policies to be implemented and draws out the main lessons to be considered in other regions. Key Lessons: Participatory policies and mechanisms for fostering rural development planning are key in conflict prevention. Establishing a transparent dialogue and negotiation process is the only way to maintain conflicts under control and reach socially sustainable agreements. Latin American countries prove that conflict transformation is possible in the extractive industries