Extractivism: The Veins Always Open of Latin America PDF

# Extractivisme - The veins always open of Latin America ## Extractivism - Local populations work for the benefit of European elites. - Profits are based on products that are highly valued in the international market. - Production is based on short-term profits, even if it means destroying the env...

# Extractivisme - The veins always open of Latin America ## Extractivism - Local populations work for the benefit of European elites. - Profits are based on products that are highly valued in the international market. - Production is based on short-term profits, even if it means destroying the environment. - The focus then shifts to areas with new products, and the local economy is left in ruin. - The cycle includes: sugarcane, coffee, gold, rubber and other products. - The Amazonian economy is based on “adaptive economies” and “products of the crown" which can be traced back to forestry and rubber extraction activities. - The "aviamento" system was established during the colonial era but grew strong during the rubber cycle (1879-1912). - "Aviamento" is a complex chain of intermediaries that connects collectors, suppliers and export houses. - Workers are given advances and credit to compensate for the costs of their work and living expenses. - Rubber extraction has been linked to exploitation and slavery, as the system is oppressive and controls the flow of resources. - The rubber cycle was dominated by “patrons,” who controlled production and work conditions. - The rubber boom ended with the “boom of cotton,” which was devastated by droughts in the 1880s. ## A Recent Tradition - In the 1970s, roads were built into the Amazon, which opened up the region to exploitation. - New investors arrived in the region. - The “second economic development plan for the Amazon” began in 1974. - This plan encouraged mineral exploration, which led to the exploitation of resources like iron ore, cassiterite, oil and gas. - The Amazon is facing increasing pressure as the demand for its resources grows. ## The Fight for Environmental Justice: Seringueiros - The rubber tappers fought to protect their way of life by preventing deforestation and challenging large plantation owners. - In the 1980s, they formed labor unions and received support from international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and environmental groups. - The struggle of the rubber tappers helped bring attention to the conflict between environmental protection and development. - The fight for environmental justice helped establish the concept of “sustainable development,” which was defined in the 1987 report “Our Common Future” by the Brundtland Commission. - Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper who fought for the protection of the Amazon, was assassinated in 1988. - In 1990, the Brazilian state recognized the “extractive reserve” (“Resex”) as a way to protect the environment and provide livelihoods for the Indigenous people. The Resex includes a protected zone where local communities have usage rights. ## New Frontiers of Exploitation - The Amazon is facing new threats, especially from large-scale mining, mining, hydroelectric power projects, and the development of infrastructure, which disrupts the environment and threatens the livelihoods of local communities. - The new extractive industries are more destructive than conventional “extractivism.” - The Amazon is increasingly being viewed as a land of opportunity, as its resources are viewed as essential to development. The demand for these resources leads to a race to exploit them for profit. ## The Challenges of Development - The new extractives are very destructive. - It is hard to reconcile resource extraction with sustainable development. - These are the concerns of the extractivism debate. - Governments need to find a way to create a balance between economic development, environmental protection, and social justice. - Governments need to find a way to ensure that the benefits of resource extraction are shared fairly and benefit everyone. ## Notes: - The text in the document is written in Portuguese. - The text describes some of the environmental challenges facing the Amazon. - The text talks about the history of extractivism in the Amazon and how it has evolved over decades. - The text also provides an outlook for the Amazon and its future.