The struggle for water as a source for territorial re-existence in Chile: Rethinking the agrarian question in Latin America

Abstract

Water is a key challenge when it comes to the Latin American agrarian issue, and its lack threatens rural living. The Chilean case is emblematic of this issue, given the implications of neoliberalism and its consequences on environmental injustice. Social movements are now adding the issue of water to their historical demands for land and territory. This paper addresses what features the water struggle has acquired among social movements in Chile by undertaking a critical, geohistorical reading of ongoing social processes. Our conclusions indicate that the agrarian territories are at a crossroads that demands mobilization or risks initiating a process of rural depopulation.