The Politics of Social Movement and Natural Resource Extraction in Peru: An Analysis of Dialogue Tables
Location
PANEL: Voices of Resistance & Resilience
CELA Moffett
Moderator: Jennifer Fraser
Document Type
Presentation - Open Access
Start Date
4-25-2025 4:00 PM
End Date
4-25-2025 5:00 PM
Research Program
Jere Bruner Research Grant
Abstract
Private ownership of mineral extraction in Peru dates back to 1990s era of economic liberalization. In 2001, three key actors within the natural resource extraction political arena (corporate representatives, governmental officials and community activists) signed a social investment agreement (Convenio Marco) delineating how revenue from the mine would be distributed within the community. In the subsequent decades, however, that agreement would face scrutiny from community activists in Espinar, many of whom were Indigenous Quechua. At least two distinctive waves of protest (2012 and 2022) roiled the town of Espinar. In light of these events—including a $1.5 billion expansion of the mine announced in 2023—this project uses computerized text analysis to analyze mesas de diálogo (dialogue tables) dating back to 2018 that feature discussions of the Convenio Marco in Espinar. Relying on several methodologies of textual analysis, including topic modeling and sentiment analysis, this project examines whether local institutions in Peru’s mining region serve as effective outlets for resolving stakeholder disagreements around social investment. As rising international demand for precious minerals brings heightened attention to the social implications of mineral extraction in Latin America, what do localized discourses reveal about the state of public participation in Peru’s fragile democracy?
Keywords:
Latin American Studies, Peru, Community activism, Environmental contamination
Recommended Citation
Thomas-Patterson, Walter, "The Politics of Social Movement and Natural Resource Extraction in Peru: An Analysis of Dialogue Tables" (2025). Research Symposium. 20.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2025/presentations/20
Major
Latin American Studies
Musical Studies
Project Mentor(s)
Marc Blecher, Politics and East Asian Studies
2025
The Politics of Social Movement and Natural Resource Extraction in Peru: An Analysis of Dialogue Tables
PANEL: Voices of Resistance & Resilience
CELA Moffett
Moderator: Jennifer Fraser
Private ownership of mineral extraction in Peru dates back to 1990s era of economic liberalization. In 2001, three key actors within the natural resource extraction political arena (corporate representatives, governmental officials and community activists) signed a social investment agreement (Convenio Marco) delineating how revenue from the mine would be distributed within the community. In the subsequent decades, however, that agreement would face scrutiny from community activists in Espinar, many of whom were Indigenous Quechua. At least two distinctive waves of protest (2012 and 2022) roiled the town of Espinar. In light of these events—including a $1.5 billion expansion of the mine announced in 2023—this project uses computerized text analysis to analyze mesas de diálogo (dialogue tables) dating back to 2018 that feature discussions of the Convenio Marco in Espinar. Relying on several methodologies of textual analysis, including topic modeling and sentiment analysis, this project examines whether local institutions in Peru’s mining region serve as effective outlets for resolving stakeholder disagreements around social investment. As rising international demand for precious minerals brings heightened attention to the social implications of mineral extraction in Latin America, what do localized discourses reveal about the state of public participation in Peru’s fragile democracy?
