Deciding over the territory governance of mining conflicts. The cases of andalgalá, in catamarca, and famatina, in La rioja, Argentina. (2005–2016)

Abstract

In recent times, two global phenomena have converged: the growing demand for natural resources and a mobilized citizenry that claims participation in the decisions about their territories. Thus, socio-environmental conflicts often arise where communities, appealing to environmental and cultural values, confront transnational companies and governments interested in natural resources exploitation. Despite the multiplication of literature and environmental governance strategies, these disputes continue to be characterized more by the trend toward radicalized conflict than by consensus and democratic resolutions. Aiming to deepen the understanding of this phenomena, we study the conflicts unleashed from the installation of open-pit mining projects in the provinces of Catamarca and La Rioja in Argentina. We look for the characteristics of the interactions between the State, the civil society and the business sector that hinder the progress towards governance processes that bring by democratic resolutions to mining conflicts. Based on a comparative study at the subnational level, it is shown that mining conflicts are characterized by not developing effective governance processes. We argue that this is related to three central factors. First, a failed articulation between the actors, ineffective negotiation instances, disparate normative and cognitive frameworks, inefficient external agents, and the absence of joint public policy proposals. Second, the lack of will and capacity of the provincial governments combined with the weakness of the institutional mechanisms. And finally, the generation of a deep antagonism in the positions and discourses of the actors provoked by the particularities of the mining projects.