THE MAKING OF A RAMSAR SITE: A MARXIST ECOLOGY APPROACH TO CONSERVATION, CORRUPTION, AND LEADERSHIP IN A COLOMBIAN AMAZONIAN INDIGENOUS RESGUARDO

Abstract

My thesis explores the local tensions arising from the implementation of fishing and conservation policies, particularly in the designation of the Tarapoto Wetlands in the Colombian Amazon as a Ramsar site. Based on ethnographic research, I trace the historical trajectory of local conservation initiatives in a wetland which is known as the cradle of pink dolphin calves. In examining the local effectiveness of neoliberal conservation efforts, the potential for certain NGOs to undermine Indigenous sovereignty, and the adaptability of Indigenous leadership, I engage three strands of Marxist theory: Marxist ecology, a Gramscian analysis of civil society, and Žižek’s critique of ideology. The thesis advances a parallax view– or a perspective that constantly moves between ideas and tangible realities– and utilizes Marxist ecology to contextualize conservation efforts within late capitalism and the climate crisis along with Gramsci’s insights to elucidate the role of civil society and NGOs in conservation initiatives. Žižek’s work is employed to reveal contradictions inherent in conservation ideology and ecological fantasies. This thesis proves the usefulness of Marxist theory for understanding neoliberal conservation as well as addresses a gap in the anthropological literature by examining the complex interplay of neoliberal conservation with narco-trafficking and corruption, and the emergence of new Indigenous leadership, particularly women leaders who are challenging traditional power structures linked to conservation policies.