Market Citizenship in Eastern Nicaraguan Indigenous Territories

Abstract

Drawing from critical assessments of market citizenship and neoliberal resource management, this article on eastern Nicaragua demonstrates that state policies threaten the subsistence rights of indigenous peoples in spite of recent advances in land titling. Case studies of three prominent disputes linked to protected areas and tourism demonstrate that where territorial recognition and land titling has not occurred, or the rights and responsibilities of outsiders and native occupants remain unclear, indigenous claims are threatened by both real estate sales and biodiversity conservation efforts. Ever-present contradictions in market-oriented definitions of indigenous rights and biodiversity values suggest outcomes remain uncertain due to racial prejudice, structural inequalities, and profit motives.