Socialización and labor unions in waterway port development in the Bolivian Amazon

IF 3.4 2区社会学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Geoforum Pub Date : 2025-03-25 DOI:10.1016/j.geoforum.2025.104270

Fernando Schrupp Rivero, Jannes Willems, Maria Kaika

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This article critically examines Bolivia’s socialización (public participation) process in large-scale infrastructure projects through an institutional ethnography lens. The 2013 Bolivian Socialización Law, a post-neoliberal participatory framework, mandates that infrastructure project design and implementation involve participation of all ‘organized civil society actors’, including Indigenous groups, labor unions, and other social movements. Here we examine labor union participation in waterway modernization through a case study of the new Ichilo-Mamoré waterway ’Stretch 1’ (Tramo I) in the Bolivian Amazon, which borders the municipality of Santa Ana del Yacuma, where the Regional Labor Central (COR-SAY) has expanded its support base and political relevance since 2017 with MAS party support. The socialización process yielded partial victories for labor unions, with the inclusion of a labor-formulated Municipal Port Terminal in the national waterway program and recognition of COR-SAY as the local representative in infrastructure projects. The port terminal integrated expert and local knowledge, though COR-SAY’s new role diminished the influence of Indigenous organizations. Despite these labor gains, the article reveals constraints in achieving deeper democratic change through infrastructure program participation. This stems from the State’s focus on managed consensus-building, which contrasts with labor unions view of socialización as a means to advance sectoral demands through infrastructure development. Thus, in Bolivia’s post-neoliberal context, consensus over infrastructure projects—potentially harmful to Indigenous livelihoods—generates new struggles for socio-economic progress.

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玻利维亚亚马逊河水运港口开发中的社会化和工会问题

本文通过制度人种学的视角，批判性地考察了玻利维亚在大型基础设施项目中的socialización（公众参与）过程。2013年玻利维亚Socialización法律是一个后新自由主义参与性框架，要求基础设施项目的设计和实施涉及所有“有组织的民间社会行动者”的参与，包括土著群体、工会和其他社会运动。在这里，我们通过对玻利维亚亚马逊地区新的ichilo - mamor水道“Stretch 1”（Tramo I）的案例研究，研究工会在水道现代化中的参与情况。该水道与圣安娜德尔亚库马市接壤，自2017年以来，区域劳工中心（cr - say）在MAS党的支持下扩大了其支持基础和政治相关性。socialización进程取得了工会的部分胜利，工会制定的市政港口码头被纳入国家水道计划，COR-SAY被认可为基础设施项目的地方代表。尽管COR-SAY的新角色削弱了土著组织的影响力，但港口码头整合了专家和当地知识。尽管有这些劳动收益，但文章揭示了通过参与基础设施项目实现更深层次民主变革的制约因素。这源于国家注重有管理地建立共识，这与工会认为socialización是通过基础设施发展促进部门需求的手段形成对比。因此，在玻利维亚的后新自由主义背景下，对基础设施项目的共识——可能对土著居民的生计有害——产生了新的社会经济进步斗争。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Geoforum GEOGRAPHY-

CiteScore

7.30

自引率

5.70%

发文量

201

期刊介绍： Geoforum is an international, inter-disciplinary journal, global in outlook, and integrative in approach. The broad focus of Geoforum is the organisation of economic, political, social and environmental systems through space and over time. Areas of study range from the analysis of the global political economy and environment, through national systems of regulation and governance, to urban and regional development, local economic and urban planning and resources management. The journal also includes a Critical Review section which features critical assessments of research in all the above areas.