In Development in Latin America, Maristella Svampa explores the contemporary development and resistance dynamics of capitalist development -- the workings (on people and societies) of the world capitalist system -- in the context of Latin America, where these dynamics have had their most notable outcomes. She focuses on the phenomenon of "neoextractivism," the combination of the global advance of resource-seeking extractive capital (foreign investments in the extraction of natural resources) and the commodities consensus (export of raw materials), among both neoliberal and progressive governments -- analyzing their common elements as well as their differences. Svampa explores the complex dynamics of socio-environmental conflict associated with neoextractivism, as well as what she refers to as the "eco-territorial turn." Svampa's analysis includes both the ecological and gender dimensions of the global and regional capitalist development process.

This Element analyses the political dynamics of neo-extractivism in Latin America. It discusses the critical concepts of neo-extractivism and the commodity consensus and the various phases of socio-environmental conflict, proposing an eco-territorial approach that uncovers the escalation of extractive violence. It also presents horizontal concepts and debates theories that explore the language of Latin American socio-environmental movements, such as Buen Vivir and Derechos de la Naturaleza. In concluding, it proposes an explanation for the end of the progressive era, analyzing its ambiguities and limitations in the dawn of a new political cycle marked by the strengthening of the political rights.