Evaluating the effectiveness of the anti-mining movement in Guatemala: the role of political opportunities and message framing

Abstract

The objective of this article is to investigate why the resistance to the Marlin mine in Guatemala has been unsuccessful in terms of having any of its demands met by the state or the mining company. Guided by the literature on social movement theory, the analysis focuses on two key themes, the context or political opportunities and message framing, to illustrate the challenges confronting the resistance. With respect to the context, the analysis draws attention to the constraints on the movement arising from the model of economic development being implemented by the state, the historic racism against the indigenous, and the prevalence of impunity that facilitates the criminalization of the movement’s participants.Regarding message framing, the article focuses on the weaknesses of the resistance’s message frame and the effectiveness of the company’s counter-frame.