Resistencia para que? Territory, autonomy and neoliberal entanglements in the ‘empty spaces’ of Central America

Post/neo/liberalism in relational perspective

“…Political expedience and the interests of nation and economy in Latin America often belie deference to indigeneity in light of the persistence of postcolonial hierarchies (Sieder, 2002a;Yashar, 2005). In practice, economic expedience trumps territorial rights of indigenous groups (Hale, 2011). Nation-states claim subsurface rights (Bebbington & Bebbington, 2011), and more generally environmental politics become a means by which to legitimize states and their neoliberal projects (Brand, 2009;Coronil, 1997).…”

“…Research has shown that postneoliberal discourses fail to match on-the-ground, remarkably neoliberal realities (Benwell, Hasselip, & Borello, 2012;Escobar, 2010;Kohl & Farthing, 2012;Leiva, 2008;Radcliffe, 2012;Sieder, 2002a). The apparent victories of indigenous movements likewise are limited (Escobar, 2010;Hale, 2011;Puig, 2010a). Even recognizing path dependence (Molyneux, 2008) and distinct modes of governance (de la Torre, 2013), similar problems occur across wide-ranging contexts, including the persistence of clientelism and undemocratic processes of decision making (Bebbington & Bebbington, 2011;B ed ecarrats, Bastiaensen, & Doligez, 2012;Escobar, 2010;Radcliffe, 2012;Sieder, 2002a), uneven land distribution (Bebbington & Bebbington, 2011;Enríquez, 2013), and patriarchy (Friedman, 2009;Sieder, 2002a) and post-colonial racial hierarchies (Sieder, 2002a;Yashar, 2005).…”

War without end? Military humanitarianism and the limits of biopolitical approaches to security in Central America and the Caribbean

“…That condition is commonly understood in terms of racial differences separating the region's black and indigenous inhabitants from the mestizo (mixed) population that resides in western Nicaragua (Hale, 1994;Pineda, 2006). The region's autonomous status, established in 1987 by the Sandinistas in partial recognition of demands by Miskito-led insurgent groups, has largely failed to remedy these problems (Hale, 2011).…”

Adjudication and Its Aftereffects in Three Inter-American Court Cases Brought against Paraguay: Indigenous Land Rights

“…16 The impact of the IACtHR on Indigenous rights is little studied outside of critical legal studies. Studies by Wainwright and Bryan, 17 Bryan, 18 Hale, 19 Medina, 20 Correia 21 are notable exceptions. On the other hand, legal scholars have contributed numerous analyses of the advances and limitations of Indigenous rights jurisprudence produced by the IACtHR 22 and technical accounting of the implementation process.…”