Sustainable Development and Infrastructure: Effective Indigenous Resistance from a Power and Decolonizing Environmental Justice Lens

Jazmín Gonzales Tovar (), Killa Becerra Jacanamejoy, Valentín Luna Ríos, James Rafael Becerra Jacanamejoy, Nancy Elizabeth Mutumbajoy, Domingo Ocampo Huasna, Percy Peralta, Robert Buschbacher and Stephen Perz
Additional contact information
Jazmín Gonzales Tovar: Center for African Studies, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Killa Becerra Jacanamejoy: Resguardo Indígena Yunguillo, Putumayo 860007, Colombia
Valentín Luna Ríos: Mancomunidad de Comunidades de los Ríos Beni, Tuichi y Quiquibey, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
James Rafael Becerra Jacanamejoy: Resguardo Indígena Yunguillo, Putumayo 860007, Colombia
Nancy Elizabeth Mutumbajoy: Resguardo Indígena Yunguillo, Putumayo 860007, Colombia
Domingo Ocampo Huasna: Mancomunidad de Comunidades de los Ríos Beni, Tuichi y Quiquibey, Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
Percy Peralta: Independent Researcher, Palm Harbor, FL 34685, USA
Robert Buschbacher: Tropical Conservation and Development Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
Stephen Perz: Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-30

Abstract: Under the discourses of sustainable development and modernization of the Amazon, an iron triangle of governments, companies, and investors often impose large-scale infrastructure projects (LSIPs) on Indigenous peoples to facilitate commodity extraction and market transactions in a context of capitalist market expansion. Indigenous resistance to LSIPs can be understood as a power struggle against coloniality and towards decolonizing environmental justice (DEJ). This study merges DEJ and power frameworks, while involving Indigenous leaders as co-researchers to provide a critical, insider perspective on the (i) motivations, (ii) strategies, and (iii) agency of two effective Indigenous resistance processes: the luchas led by Yunguillo Indigenous Reserve against roads, and by the Mancomunidad de Comunidades de los ríos Beni, Tuichi y Quiquibey against hydroelectric dams. In both cases, motivations reflected DEJ goals: the defense of Indigenous autonomy and territorial sovereignty, as well as Indigenous ontologies and epistemologies, reflecting an alternative vision of sustainability and development. However, locals’ positions regarding the projects were convoluted, partly due to the patronizing and divisive strategies of the iron triangle. To challenge the coloniality of power, both groups applied a diverse, synergistic, and adaptative set of strategies. External and internal alliances (i.e., with other actors and within communities), as well as actions to empower themselves as groups (e.g., self-governance) and individuals (e.g., spirituality) constituted key organizational leveraging strategies to increase their power-with and power-within. The instrumental strategies of collective action, civil disobedience, and direct resistance, in a climate of highly unjust and poorly trusted official institutions, showed great effectiveness to exert pressure on the iron triangle (power-over) and halt the projects (power-to, or agency). Success, nevertheless, was partial and uncertain: one battle won in an unequal war and in a changing context. This study seeks to contribute to previous efforts to decolonize and repoliticize academia, environmentalism, and sustainability, advance debates on strategies that challenge official systems and entrenched power structures, and validate Indigenous perspectives and experiences, producing scientific evidence that contributes to their luchas .

Keywords: Indigenous resistance; infrastructure; environmental justice; decolonizing research; motivations; strategies; governance; power; agency; Amazon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/20/9122/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/20/9122/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:20:p:9122-:d:1771579

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().