Environmental movements, democracy and identity in Bolivia and Peru: two divergent andean experiences | Movimentos ambientalistas, democracia e identidade na Bolívia e no Peru: duas experiências andinas divergentes

Abstract

This research investigates the conditions behind the emergence of organized environmental movements in Bolivia and their less prominence in Peru. It seeks to understand why environmental movements in Bolivia, unlike in Peru, emerge with political opportunities, organizational strength through broad-based coalitions and collective consciousness. The analysis relied on case studies in Bolivia and Peru to assess the political process model theory while providing some alterations to its original theoretical framework by demonstrating the role of transnational networks in supporting environmental movements’ legitimacy. Through a literature review and a qualitative approach, the research examined the internal workings of the political process model theory through a comparative historical analysis on environmental movements under neoliberal times starting from the 1980s onwards and its implications to democracy.