Violent Green Spaces in Neoliberal Central America
Publisher: Journal of Latin American Geography
Author(s): Mary Finley-Brook
Date: 2018
Topics: Governance, Land, Livelihoods
Countries: Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua
In the ten years since I wrote ‘Green Neoliberal Space,’ international finance institutions (IFIs) have continued to intervene in Central America, but regional challenges are greater than ever. A decade ago, I never imagined per capita homicide rates in many Central American countries would rival the world’s deadliest war zones, as they do currently, with violence occurring even in protected areas. Similarly, I did not appreciate how grave Mesoamerican ecological threats were because it seemed these concerns were finally gaining overdue attention. In hindsight, I wish I had advocated for biological corridors and pointed out their essential roles in mitigating climate change, supplying clean air and water, and supporting rural livelihoods.