The harvest of neoliberalism in Latin America

Lara, José Bell; López, Delia Luisa

doi:10.1163/ej.9789004153653.i-383.10

Cited by 15 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Neoliberalism, in its various forms and manifestations, has been the governing paradigm in most Latin American countries since the politico-economic reforms initiated in the 1980s. Albeit in a state of constant crisis and with mixed economic results (Lara and López 2007), the 'actually existing' experiences of neoliberalization in the region have entailed the destruction and creative reconstruction of the institutional arrangements established in the immediate post-war period. On the one hand, the need to respond to a legacy of socioeconomic and socioecological problems left from previous decades, while at the same time creating new opportunities for the circulation and accumulation of capital, have been important elements of the neoliberalizing trends set in motion in the sub-continent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Adaptive Nature of the Neoliberal State and the State-led Neoliberalisation of Nature: Unpacking the Political Economy of Water in Lima, Peru

Ioris

2013

New Political Economy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The neoliberalization of water constitutes an emblematic illustration of the enduring encroachment of neoliberalism upon nature. Previous studies in Latin America have examined the transition from Keynesian water utilities to the neoliberal provisions of water services, but paid less attention to the adaptability of the state apparatus and the systematic adjustments required to sustain neoliberalizing strategies. Addressing this gap in the literature, the article examines two decades of change in the public water services of Lima, Peru, as one of the Latin American countries where neoliberal reforms have been more comprehensive and resilient. The analysis focuses on the water policies advanced by the national state and with the reconfiguration of the state apparatus in face of extra-economic factors. The neoliberalization of water may have improved the situation at the aggregate level, but inequalities, scarcities and vulnerabilities have been maintained and even reinforced. The achievements and failures of the neoliberalization of water have ultimately depended on a range of politico-economic and socioecological interactions creatively mediated by the state apparatus. In the end, however, the neoliberal adjustments in the structure and operation of the state have replicated the double exploitation of nature and society that has long shaped Peruvian economic history.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Adaptive Nature of the Neoliberal State and the State-led Neoliberalisation of Nature: Unpacking the Political Economy of Water in Lima, Peru

Ioris

2013

New Political Economy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The particularities of the local experience are highly pertinent to the provision of water services and, ultimately, the prospects of nature neoliberalization in the global South. Particularly in Latin America, neoliberalism has been the dominant economic paradigm since the end of the 1980s (Lara & López, ) as both a productive and destructive phenomenon, exacerbating rather than reducing the uneven geographies of development (Perreault & Martin, ). Nevertheless, the impacts on local environments have varied greatly between nations and places of different political, institutional, economic, environmental and social conditions (Liverman & Vilas, ), and also included persistent resistance and systematic contestation by grassroots movements (Perreault, ).…”

Section: Introduction: the Context For The Neoliberalization Of Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

The persistent water problems of Lima, Peru: Neoliberalism, institutional failures and social inequalities

Ioris

2012

Singap J Trop Geogr

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The contingent relation between water governance and nature neoliberalization has defined most interventions in the water sector around the world in recent years. In the case of the Peruvian capital Lima, the provision of water and sanitation services in the last two decades has been the object of investments and institutional reforms strongly influenced by economic neoliberalism. This essay examines the evolution of these neoliberalizing tendencies, noting the internal disputes, necessary adjustments and underlying problems of water sufficiency in the metropolitan region. The empirical results suggest that, rather than a straightforward process, the neoliberalization of water in Lima has advanced according to political opportunities and technico‐operational constraints. The water reforms implemented in the 1990s – when the goal of privatization met political opposition – can be contrasted with the more recent phase in the 2000s, when more flexible mechanisms, such as public‐private partnerships, have facilitated public acceptance. Despite the renovation of the infrastructure, the modernization of the water sector has failed to address persistent water management problems, namely the discriminatory treatment of low income residents, the chaotic expansion of the metropolitan area and the risk of future water shortages.

show abstract

The Politics of Investment Treaties in Latin America

Calvert

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

International investment law is at a crossroads. Civil society groups, prominent think tanks, and international organizations are calling for widespread reform. At the centre of controversy are international investment agreements (IIAs) and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). Over 1,000 legal claims have been brought by foreign investors under IIAs since the mid-1990s, resulting in multimillion-dollar fines imposed against governments for policies related to the environment, natural resource governance, and access to basic services among other areas of public concern. Governments targeted by investor claims are pursuing a variety of reforms that range from the incremental to paradigm-shifting. These different responses raise important questions about the politics of infringement and reform. Why do governments infringe on IIAs despite the costs of doing so? Why do some governments heavily targeted by investor claims pursue more substantive reforms than others? This book provides a timely examination of infringement and reform in Latin America, where governments felt the sting of investor claims sooner and with greater frequency than in other regions. It focuses on Peru, Argentina, and Ecuador, countries that responded very differently to waves of investor claims. Based on interviews with government officials and international lawyers, as well as an extensive analysis of legal transcripts, detailed case study chapters examine the conditions that prompted investor claims and the factors that inform countries’ reform agendas. In doing so, the book illustrates the conditions under which IIAs constrain state behaviour and how different belief systems produce different responses to external pressures for treaty compliance.

show abstract

The harvest of neoliberalism in Latin America

Cited by 15 publications

References 0 publications

The Adaptive Nature of the Neoliberal State and the State-led Neoliberalisation of Nature: Unpacking the Political Economy of Water in Lima, Peru

The Adaptive Nature of the Neoliberal State and the State-led Neoliberalisation of Nature: Unpacking the Political Economy of Water in Lima, Peru

The persistent water problems of Lima, Peru: Neoliberalism, institutional failures and social inequalities

The Politics of Investment Treaties in Latin America

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About