Canadian mining in Latin America (1990 to present): a provisional history

Since the early 1990s Canadian mining companies extended their presence in Latin America in unprecedented numbers and ways. This article presents a historical synthesis of this phenomenon. It shows Canadian overseas mining as predominantly focused on exploration and precious metal mining; traces its origins in the nexus between new techniques and hubs of speculative capital; and shows the political innovations produced by this commodity frontier, both in the deployment of new forms of corporate governmentality and in the emergence of locally-based movements for resource sovereignty and socio-ecological justice.