Colonial Histories and Decolonial Dreams in the Ecuadorean Amazon: Natural Resources and the Politics of Post-Neoliberalism

The political changes sweeping Latin America have inspired scholars to declare a post-neoliberal era, some even suggesting a potential reversal of colonialism. Despite progressive political discourse in Ecuador, the indigenous movement continues to resist the state. Underlying the conflict between the indigenous and the state is a long-standing conflict between economic growth and the environment. Since Ecuador's economy relies on Amazonian natural resources, the post-neoliberal Ecuadorean state requires colonial advances into indigenous territory to fund its progressive social programs. The opposite of colonialism is autonomy, which in the right hands can represent a true development alternative.