Social revolution and mining projects: The potential role of cultural power in transforming mining conflict

Abstract

Latin America has been experiencing numerous mining conflicts, leading to a critical discourse around extractivism and an increase in anti-mining movements seeking social change and to influence policy. Some movements have been successful, others not. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider how resistance to mining could achieve meaningful long-term social change. Despite increasing knowledge about the strategies and political opportunity structures that have helped social movements achieve outcomes, there remains need for better comprehension about how cultural power can be used to enable social change that would lead to reduced power imbalances and inequality. The 2019 social revolution in Chile (often called 18-O after the rally on 18 October 2019) provided an opportunity to analyze social change processes. We investigated, at national and subnational levels, the playing-out of cultural power during the social uprising, specifically in relation to the Dominga mining project. We found that cultural power affected the conflict dynamic and led to significant policy outcomes at the national level (e.g. a process to develop a new constitution and the adoption of the Escazú Agreement) and at the local level (e.g. implementation of a protected area, designation of two new Indigenous communities, and public authorities refusing to grant approval for the Dominga mine). However, the Dominga mining company largely did not change its strategy or behaviour, and arguably hardened its position. This ultimately led to it losing social and political support. We show how cultural power can lead to groundswell transformation with potential to create sustained change.