Geographic Protest: The Role of Counter-Mapping in Supporting Campaigns Against Large-Scale Extractive Projects in Colombia: The Case of La Colosa

Specht, D. 2018. Geographic Protest: The Role of Counter-Mapping in Supporting Campaigns Against Large-Scale Extractive Projects in Colombia: The Case of La Colosa. Livingmaps Review. 5.

TitleGeographic Protest: The Role of Counter-Mapping in Supporting Campaigns Against Large-Scale Extractive Projects in Colombia: The Case of La Colosa
TypeJournal article
AuthorsSpecht, D.
Abstract

In a few short years, social movements in Cajamarca, Colombia, were able to convince a once divided community to near-unanimously reject establishment of the world’s largest gold mine on their doorstep. This paper examines the role of contestatory cartography in achieving this remarkable result. It explores the range of mapping and counter-mapping tools used by movements in the region, showing how a combination of classic GIS and more neogeographical tools have been used to counter the mining project from both a legal and social standing. While the paper also finds hierarchies of control are still in place and not eroded by participatory mapping activities, it also suggests that counter-mapping and the involvement of the community in exploring their own landscape was crucial to the rejection of AngloGold Ashanti’s La Colosa project.

KeywordsNeogeography, Counter-mapping, Social movements, Political mobilisation, Protest
JournalLivingmaps Review
Journal citation5
ISSN2398-0338
Year2018
PublisherLivingmaps Network
Publisher's version
Web address (URL)http://livingmaps.review/journal/index.php/LMR/article/view/111
Publication dates
PublishedNov 2018

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