Traversing the margins of corruption amidst informal economies in Amazonia

Abstract

This article focuses on local idioms of extra-legal economic activity among indigenous Amazonians in eastern Peru, and its overall argument is that these idioms are part of a broader context in which indigenous people are compelled by a variety of factors to act in a seemingly corrupt manner. I further suggest that within such a context these idioms are not confined to the informal economy but are also used to refer to activities that fall within the formal economy, supporting Hart's (2009) claim that the informal economy is a way of imagining the orthodox economy. I argue that corruption within Amazonian economies is commonly perceived by non-indigenous people as contrasting with the workings of the orthodox economy without proper consideration of the economic conditions and bureaucratic structures that give rise to it. Lastly, I argue that, here, corruption can contravene bureaucracy by restoring the humanity that Herzfeld (1993) claims bureaucracy rejects through its acts of indifference toward individuals.

Capítulo 34: Impulsando las relaciones entre la selva amazónica y las ciudades globalizadas

“…The region's informal economic activity, based on subsistence, the extraction of raw materials and casual labor, is rife and linked to broader formal and international economies (Peluso 2020). As a result, the Amazon has intersecting informal and formal economic sectors, which exist in a symbiotic relationship (Peluso 2018).…”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – A Political Ecology Perspective

“…Applying a universalising discourse of transparency, as a taken-for-granted social good and antidote to corruption, assumes the existence of a functioning state with clear and equitable rules and an even-handed judiciary. This overlooks how complex patron-client relations generally arise in the absence of strong state institutions with widespread legitimacy (Peluso 2018), and how accusations of corruption are frequently harnessed for political gain (Khan 1998).…”