New Americas Quarterly on Natural Resource Extraction Released

The Winter 2013 issue of Americas Quarterly, released on January 29, addresses the potentials and pitfalls presented by the growing global demand for and investment in natural resources: understanding the sources of conflict between investors and citizens, improving the public management of mining royalties and taxes, and recognizing examples of good—and bad—corporate practices. Plus, the new AQ looks at ways to address the alarming pretrial detention rates in in the Americas, the changing demands of Chile’s new middle-class voter, and Ciudad Juárez’ bid to remake its image and rebuild its economy.

Our natural resource section includes articles on how a changing global landscape in natural resources is recasting geopolitics, the multiple causes of social conflict over resource extraction, persistent resource nationalism in Latin America, and how Bolivia, Chile and Peru have addressed the region’s “resource course.”

Plus, a 30-page photo essay offers an on-the-ground look at mining projects and the communities around them. Based on a series of in-depth case studies, AQ analyzes how three Latin American countries—Chile, Colombia, and Peru—have managed natural resource extraction projects in the areas of governance, community relations and consulta previa (prior consultation), value-added economic development, and the environment—and provides recommendations in all four areas.

Access this issue of Americas Quarterly.

In This Issue:

FEATURE SECTION

Three Countries, Three Different Trajectories
ENRIQUE CALFUCURA, ASTRID MARTÍNEZ ORTIZ, CYNTHIA SANBORN, AND JUAN LUIS DAMMERT

Photo Essay
NICOLAS VILLAUME
Mining in the Americas and the people who make it happen in Chile, Colombia and Peru.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
RICHARD ANDRE, RYAN BERGER, WILDA ESCARFULLER, MARI HAYMAN, AND ALANA TUMMINO
How mining companies, government and communities can improve the prospects for social peace and economic development.

The Geopolitics of the Modern Resource Boom
BERNICE LEE
Prepare for more supply disruptions, price swings and political tensions.

Avoiding the Resource Curse
ROSEMARY THORP, JOSÉ CARLOS ORIHUELA AND MARITZA PAREDES
Equitable and sustainable growth is possible—maybe.

CHARTICLE: What's in Your Smartphone?
WILDA ESCARFULLER AND LEANI GARCÍA
Silver, gold and other basic metals drive our digital world.

Crossing Boundaries
ANTHONY BEBBINGTON
Why are resource conflicts on the rise?

Illegal Mining
MARI HAYMAN
Extraction without rules.

Resource Nationalism: Beyond Ideology
HAL WEITZMAN
The hemisphere revives an old policy standby.

ASK THE EXPERTS
How can governments best ensure mining produces broad-based economic development? John Samuel, Anthony Hodge, Francisco Panizza and Lisa Sachs respond.

AQ UPFRONT

Jailed, But Not Sentenced
RICHARD M. ABORN AND ASHLEY D. CANNON
Millions of people languish in miserable conditions in prisons across the Americas, awaiting trial.

Repression, Resistance and Indigenous Rights in Guatemala
ANITA ISAACS AND RACHEL SCHWARTZ
Can centuries of exploitation be reversed?

Chile's Pragmatic Middle-Class Voter
GREGORY ELACQUA AND CRISTOBAL ANINAT
Chile's middle class' political loyalties have shifted.

DEPARTMENTS

Panorama: Extreme biking in Valparaíso, the Year of Quinoa, Latino techies gather in Texas, 10 Things To Do in Havana, and more.

Hard Talk: Can the gang truce in El Salvador help improve security? David C. Brotherton and Carlos E. Ponce debate.

Innovators: Andrea Baranenko documents LGBT struggles in Venezuela. Álvaro Herrero champions Argentine judicial reform. Bedy Yang connects Brazil's tech entrepreneurs. Edwin Escobar fights crime in Guatemala.

Policy Updates: Aurora García Ballestros and Beatriz Jiménez Blasco on the latest shift in Spain-Latin America migration, Conrad von Igel on Chile's start-up ecosystem, Guy Taylor on Mexico's aviation parts industry.

Fresh Look Reviews: Miguel Silva reviews Álvaro Uribe's presidential memoir. Juan Cristobal Nagel on U.S.-Venezuela relations. Sérgio Teixeira Jr. on Brazilian multinationals.