Energy imaginaries and progressive tensions in Latin America: the case of Argentina (2019-2023)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21308/recp.68.02Keywords:
socio-technical imaginaries, discourse analysis, narratives, energy, energy transition, extractivism, progressivism, left-wing governments, Latin America, ArgentinaAbstract
This article aims to contribute to the sudy of energy imaginaries in Latin America by analysing a specific case: Argentina during the government of Alberto Fernández (2019-2023). Specifically, the paper explores the tensions in the progressive sphere between more developmentalist
visions, which promote the extraction of natural resource, and the rise of environmental values, which demand greater concern for nature. To do this, it employs the concept of socio-technical imaginaries as an analytical tool and examines Argentina’s gas policy, with a particular focus on the exploitation of the Vaca Muerta field. Based on the analysis of 47 presidential speeches and 13 semi-structured interviews, four energy imaginaries are identified: the national-popular, the neo-developmentalist, the environmentalist and the socio-liberal, which, rooted in different political traditions, reveal diverse ways of imagining energy and its relationship with society. Finally, the study concludes with a discussion of the challenges faced by progressive governments in the region when formulating energy policies.
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