The March of Neocolonization Folly in the Amazon

Abstract

The Amazon Rainforest is the most biodiverse place on Earth, home to hundreds of indigenous peoples, many of whom still with no or little contact with settler civilization, and of vital importance for our planet’s climate sustainability. Yet the march of neocolonization continues to advance deforestation, indigenous displacement, animal and plant extinction, unsustainable natural resource extraction, and disruption in river connectivity and to greatly contribute to global warming. In this article, I will deconstruct the narratives used to justify the Amazonian westward march in pursuit of energy, land, and natural resources, establishing a direct connection between contemporary narratives of justification and the Spanish “Requerimiento” of 1513, a declaration by the Spanish Monarchy of their divine right to conquer the New World and its peoples.