ABSTRACT

This chapter presents case studies that make it evident how the deepening of economic and social breaches during the running of deregulated exploration and exploitation of natural resources on a large scale (mining sector, agricultural sector, hydrocarbons sector and clean energies sector) can lead to severe cases of physical violence – in the process and aftermath of the development of big projects. The aim is the exposition, on the one hand, of cases of physical “insecurity” related to the criminalization and repression of activists and leaders by the state as well as by private security firms, and, on the other hand, of the increase of ordinary violent crimes on the part of individuals as a consequence of the deepening of structural and cultural violence in these areas. The cases are related as violent physical situations which must be seen, however, as visible cathartic moments along a permanent continuum of invisible oppressive living conditions. The selected cases are from Guatemala, Peru, Brazil and Honduras.