“Good” and “bad” water. The entanglements of capital, state, and science in the commodification of the Atacama waters, northern Chile (19th and early 20th centuries)
Résumé
From a political ecology standpoint, Chilean geography has been studying the different aspects of the socio-environmental conflicts around water in the neoliberal period (starting in 1973). This research aims to contribute, from a geo-historical perspective to the understanding of the relationship between different meanings and materialities that water has had in the Tarapacá region (northern Chile) before the introduction of neoliberal reforms. For this, and through the review of historical archive funds and terrain analyses, we examine the roles of state, capitalism and science/technology in the commodification/modernization of water in Tarapacá for the period between the 19th and early 20th centuries. In general terms, it is proposed that the insertion of the Tarapacá mining (19th century) in the world capitalist circuit attracted several explorers and scientists who install their modern discourses on nature/water. These discourses were installed in the political sphere and hegemonized through laws and norms. In parallel, there were materialized through the installation of water infrastructure, leaving aside local thoughts and indigenous knowledge about water and producing the modern waterscapes of Tarapacá