The rise in ecological concerns and degradation motivates the pursuit of renewable energy production in tackling climate change. Despite the sustainable framing of hydroelectric projects, they...Show moreThe rise in ecological concerns and degradation motivates the pursuit of renewable energy production in tackling climate change. Despite the sustainable framing of hydroelectric projects, they often constitute a source of conflict and resistance for marginalized communities. However, the success of anti-dam movements and resistance does not typically prevail. This study explains how the Térraba community’s resistance prevailed in cancelling the hydroelectric Diquís Project in Costa Rica. Political Ecology serves to uncover the power relations between the State and the indigenous within the discursive clash on development projects. A discourse analysis reveals opposing perspectives on development between the State and the indigenous, and its contribution to cancelling the largest dam project in Central America. The findings illustrate how a discursive clash of extractivist perspectives and practices allowed indigenous communities to utilize the legal framework to further their discourse and demand the cancellation of a harmful project.Show less
