Genèse de la campagne antiminière d’Esquel en 2002–2003: entre innovation et continuité

Abstract

This article examines the collective action experience of the Asamblea de Vecinos Autoconvocados de Esquel of 2002–2003 in Argentine Patagonia that led to the suspension of an important mining project. This experience has served as an inspiration and starting point in the formation of a national socio-environmental movement, today personified by the Unión de Asambleas Ciudadanas. We insert this collective action struggle into Argentina’s sociopolitical context at the beginning of the last decade and in the social mobilization tradition that has greatly influenced its recent history. We base our analysis on theoretical concepts derived from the “political process” school of thought that we combine with the extensive literature related to collective action published in Argentina. We defend the hypothesis that both the political opportunity structure faced by Esquel militants and the legacy of various Argentinian social movements contribute to explain the main characteristics of the mobilization model articulated in Esquel.