The Latin American critique of development

Abstract

Critical approaches to the hegemonic notion of development have existed in Latin America since the early discussions of The Limits to Growth (Meadows Report, 1972). Critiques have ranged from debates on sustainable development to the contemporary critique of the expansion of the commodity frontier. I would like to highlight three key moments in Latin American thought from this perspective: the critique of consumer society (1970s-80s); the post-development critique (1990s-2000s); and the critical perspectives on extractivism (early 2000s-present).