The political economy of natural resources in Latin America: Resource rents and Development (Part I)

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The last commodity boom (circa 2003-2014) significantly increased fiscal and non-fiscal revenues for national and subnational governments in Latin America and expanded economic activities linked with the extractive sectors. What legacy was left by the last super-cycle of commodities in the region? Did the governments and extractive companies deliver their promises about the benefits that communities would enjoy after the windfall of natural resource revenues? If not, was the last commodity boom just another chapter of the so-called resource curse? The objective of the proposed panel is to study the political economy of natural resources in different countries of Latin America from a national and subnational perspective. Hence, the panel explores natural resources in light of “the interface between political forces, institutional inheritance and economic outcomes” (Thorp, 1990: 8). Furthermore, the panel focuses on the developmental outcomes after the last commodity boom in Latin America based on theory and empirical evidence (quantitative and qualitative).

Sub Track

• Economics and Development

Session Organizer

• Juan David D Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Oxford University

Chair

• Diego Díaz Rioseco, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile

Individual Presentations

• “Sowing the Oil” in Neo-Extractivist States: Narratives of Economic Diversification in Ecuador - Pedro Alarcon, Flacso sede Ecuador

• Few linkages, plenty of conflict: Characterizing Peru's local resource curse - Cesar A Huaroto, Universidad Nacional de La Plata

• Beyond Curse and Blessing: Discussing Oil and Development in Latin America - Stefan Peters, Kassel University; CALAS

Discussant

• Juan David D Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Oxford University