Latin American Critical Geographies

Abstract

If arriving at a definition of Latin American critical geography is in itself a complex task, identifying its different territorial manifestations makes the task of analyzing and explaining it even more difficult. Firstly, pinpointing the contexts that define critical geography’s development, institutionalization and links with other positions requires a specific characterization of each nation-state or region. Secondly, different political developments have without doubt influenced the way in which geography has been linked with various visions of critical analysis. Lastly, the different ways that countries have opened themselves to external influence in the field has also defined the ways in which geography has been interlinked with other traditions and theories in each specific case. For these reasons, the chapter is divided into three sections discussing the development of critical geography in a specific Latin American region. The first section presents the development of critical geography in the northern region of the continent through analyzing Mexico, and how this nation has adopted a unique vision of critical geography that is not shared by the other Central America countries, where there is not traces of any critical thinking in geography. The other countries in Central America have hardly interchanged ideas with the rest of the continent. The second section tackles the development of critical geography in the region encompassing the Andean countries of northern South America, including Colombia Venezuela, and Ecuador. Lastly, the third section analyzes ways in which critical geography has been interpreted in the Southern Cone. This section includes a closer look at the geography of Brazil and the visions promoted by Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, which have impacted the continent as a whole.