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  • Review of Martin Mowforth’s The Violence of Development: Resource Depletion, Environmental Crises, and Human Rights Abuses in Central America
  • Mary Kate Battle (bio)

In his text, The Violence of Development: Resource Depletion, Environmental Crises, and Human Rights Abuses in Central America, Martin Mowforth presents a detailed analysis of development projects over the past decade in Central America. This text presents an array of case studies on the violent consequences of mismanagement of natural resources such as food, water, and energy, placing a heavy emphasis on the negative consequences of transnational corporations. The result is a primarily social and qualitative-based conclusion that places fault with only a few of the many actors responsible for the continuing violence in Central America.

The author, Martin Mowforth, PhD, is an associate lecturer at Plymouth University in England and the editor of the Environmental Network for Central America newsletter. His background is in human geography and transport systems and he has worked in Central America for over twenty years. During this time, Mowforth has applied his background knowledge to understanding the violent results of resource management issues throughout the Central American region, while achieving a high level of knowledge of the actual human conditions.

Pluto Press, a self-proclaimed “radical” publishing company, published the book in early 2014.1 As such, the conclusion, which focuses on transnational corporations as the main perpetuators of violence, is somewhat unsurprising. Towards the end of the text, Mowforth states, “Development today is no less violent and no less based in ideology than it was during the Cold War. The use of the political strategy of death threats and assassinations (so often associated with the defence of the power and privilege of transnational corporations and oligarchies) remains remarkably common in Central America.”2

A great strength of the text is Mowforth’s logical tone and easy language. His diction allows for the explanation a very complex topic in a [End Page 183] manner highly accessible to readers who may be turned off by other more data-focused studies on development. His style and purpose is evident from the introduction section, as is his commitment to transparency and thoroughness. As he writes, “The major themes of development, environment, violence, and globalizing capitalism run through each chapter, but consideration is also given to the significance of the development of alternative modes of production.... The number of case studies that can be detailed in each chapter is restricted by the rigours of publishing for a market; and so a website under the same title as the book has been created to detail extra case studies, data, and arguments which supplement those given in the book.”3

Furthermore, Mowforth structures the text in a very organized and manageable way. After a brief introduction, he presents a series of chapters covering the major resource-based issues facing the region: food, water, energy, mining, deforestation, industrialism and free trade treaties, and indigenous groups. Each chapter explains how the issue plagues Central America, presenting multiple case studies from various countries highlighting successful and failed projects. He ends each chapter with realistic policy suggestions for the specified sector.

Mowforth concludes his book by arguing that the transnational corporations funded by the neoliberal economic model of the region are the true force behind the high levels of violence present in the region. He argues that the companies’ direct mismanagement of natural resources and unfair influence on social policies continue to fuel the violence that carries on from Cold War times. In his words, “Those responsible for the levels of violence described here will continue to use violence as a terror tactic until the issue of impunity is seriously addressed by Central American governments. In Central America’s northern triangle, because of impunity the investigative capacity of the security forces is negligible and the justice system barely functions.”4 The Huffington Post confirms Mowforth’s sobering conclusion: in a 2014 ranking of murder rates per capita, four of the top five countries are Central American nations.5 These include the “northern triangle” countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Despite his clear language and organized structure, Mowforth presents a somewhat oversimplified conclusion. After the range of topics he...

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