Resource nationalism is the tendency of people and governments to assert control over
natural resources located within their territory. As a result, resource nationalism conflicts with the interests of
multinational corporation
A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...
s.
The approach of
peak oil during price fluctuation leads many governments to take ownership or control of
fossil fuel reservoirs for strategic and economic reasons. Resource nationalism applies to resources such as metals, and in less developed nations, mining investments.
It is mainly enforced as an economic policy in an authoritarian or populist style by governments that rely on state ownership or control of natural resources located within their territories to advance political, social or industrial objectives. This emphasizes that resources belong to the people of the country in question first and foremost, and for some resource nationalists, that state employment is the best manager of resources against privatization.
A recent tide of resource nationalism appeared during the period of economic liberalisation in Latin America in the 1990s,
with populations and governments looking for independence of the country in terms of export and resources. An example includes the
Cochabamba Water War, a series of protests against privatization of the city's water supply that took place in Bolivia. As a result, less than six months later the government cancelled the contract.
Governments that have adopted elements of resource nationalism include
Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
under
Evo Morales,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
under
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and
Venezuela
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
under
Hugo Chávez.
See also
*
Economic nationalism
References
Further reading
*Posocco, Lorenzo, and Watson, Iarfhlaith. "Reflexive Green Nationalism (RGN): A sociological antidote to the climate crisis" (2022). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364330324_Reflexive_Green_Nationalism_RGN_A_sociological_antidote_to_the_climate_crisis
*Hollingsworth, Brian, "Resource Nationalism and Energy Integration in Latin America: The Paradox of Populism" (2018). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 3790. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/3790
Johnson, Toni (13 August 2007). "The Return of Resource Nationalism". Council on Foreign Relations. Archivedfrom th
on 20 July 2016.
*Mares, David R. "Resource Nationalism and Energy Security in Latin America: Implication for Global Oil Supplies." (2010). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/la_energy_dialog/74
Nationalism
Resources
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