Mining Exploration in the Northern Region of Chiapas: Analysis of the (Mis)meeting of its Actors in Pantepec

Abstract

This article analyzes the encounter between men from Pantepec (ejidatarios and avecindados) and geologists from Linear Gold, in the context of mining exploration in the period 2003-2008; in addition, the impacts and scope of such activity in the northern region of Chiapas are addressed. The research work was guided theoretically and methodologically by the actor-oriented perspective and the notion of interface. Information was collected and systematized from secondary sources, which was triangulated with interviews and other primary sources. As a result, a network of actors was identified: 12 geologists, eight companies, four organizations and two public institutions. The memory of the local actors reveals power relations in mining exploration practices. Although other relationships were not documented, it was possible to identify events and situations that explain the end of the interface, with the expulsion of the geologists. The identification of the network of actors in the mining sector provides a complex vision that transcends the public-private dichotomy. The mining exploration interface contributed to reposition the gold deposits of northern Chiapas in the interest of the mining sector, given that more mining concessions have been granted in the region.