Nationalizing Nature

National parks in Latin America, including Iguazu National Park straddling the Brazil-Argentina border, have served as pivotal tools for territorial development and national identity. A study reveals that these protected areas were initially created in the 1930s to attract migrants from densely populated coastal regions to sparsely inhabited borderlands, effectively 'nationalizing' these lands. However, this approach shifted dramatically in the 1970s under military regimes, which violently evicted settlers, exposing the complex interplay between authoritarianism and conservation efforts. By analyzing nearly a century of national park history in Brazil and Argentina, the research demonstrates how conservation policies were intertwined with broader national programs aimed at frontier development and border control.

Freitas, F. (2021). Nationalizing Nature. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108953733