Citrus and the state: factions and class formation in rural Belize

Abstract

This article examines local‐level politics and their effect on class formation in two neighboring Belizean villages. Charlestown and More Hope exhibit differing degrees of patronage‐based factionalism, which is related to the state's differential involvement in local politics. This involvement is in turn governed by the perceived political value of individual rural constituencies. The effects of factionalism on class structure in Charlestown—a community heavily contested by the governing party and its rivals—are illustrated in the context of an expanding export‐oriented citrus economy.