Whose Paradise? Itinerant Street Vendors' Individual and Collective Practices of Political Agency in the Tourist Streets of Cusco, Peru

Itinerant street vendors in Cusco, Peru, employ fragmented and often individualized political strategies to navigate intensified government control while sustaining their livelihoods in tourism. Unlike traditional studies that focus solely on collective resistance or organized protest, this research reveals that vendors' less explicit forms of agency—both individual and collective—are crucial for their persistence in tourist streets. These practices not only help vendors challenge repressive policies but also explain disparities in their ability to benefit from the global tourism industry. The study uses empirical analysis of Cusco's vendor dynamics to highlight the nuanced ways marginalized groups assert agency in high-traffic urban spaces.

STEEL, G. (2012). Whose Paradise? Itinerant Street Vendors’ Individual and Collective Practices of Political Agency in the Tourist Streets of Cusco, Peru. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 36(5), 1007–1021. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2012.01153.x