April 24, 2025
Extractivism is the process by which natural resources are removed, or extracted, from the ground and then exported to various countries. Extractive practices have laid the foundation for capitalism and the very processes that surround us in our everyday lives.
To put it briefly, Colonialism is the process by which nations take full or partial control of other territories, settle there, and economically exploit the dominated nation and its people. Some famous examples include the British coming to the US, the Spanish colonizing most of Latin America, and the Portuguese settling in Brazil, just to name a few.
Throughout the website, you will explore different areas in which colonialism has had lingering effects in Latin America, citing case studies from Ecuador and Bolivia.
Many of the laws that we have here in the US come from English common law since we are a colony of England. However, colonies do not have much of a say as to what laws they follow initially. Over time, this developed to those who own companies having the power, and this was reflected in the laws put in place. Through the “Predatory Laws” section, we will take a deep dive into an Ecuadorian case study on how they are fighting against colonial rule and lingering laws.
You’ll also get the chance to understand the financial burden that has been placed on many of the people residing in these countries. Debt peonage is a form of forced labor to pay back debt. A case study coming from Bolivia will give us insight as to how these practices work and how they are still affecting communities today.
All of this seems like a lot, and you may be asking, “Why have they dealt with this for so long, and is there anything that can be done about it?” The short answer is yes, however, it is a long and difficult path that the people of these countries will need to pursue, and there are also ways in which you and I can help.
Sure, you may not care about how colonialism has affected Latin America, but it has affected the lives of millions of people. It is hard to be compassionate toward those we do not know, but hopefully, looking at various forms of media, it will be clear that what we do and what we consume have effects on those thousands of miles away from us.
And if you don’t care about the people, the least you could do is care about the planet. Extractive practices stemmed from the creation of Capitalism, and encourage practices that harm the environment. Think of every oil spill and every child who has died in a mine, all could have been avoided if we just consumed less. Cutting down thousands of trees, which releases thousands of tons of carbon dioxide, thins the ozone layer, causing higher temperatures. Is that what you really want for the world?
Maybe other people and the world aren’t enough for you, but what about yourself? The food you consume is giving you cancer. Pesticides and herbicides are needed to sustain food yields. The pesticides leak into the water you drink. Plastics contaminate every part of your being. Then you will see how your habits have affected you.
By lowering our consumption and seeing the effects we have, we can reduce the negative impacts on the environment and raise standards of living across the world.