Migration, Extractivism, and Necropolitics in the Peruvian Amazon: The Trafficking of Women in Neo-extractive Enclaves

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Authors: Sofía Chacaltana Cortez, Hatsumi Otsu
Cited by: 0

Abstract

This article examines migration flows to neoextractivist enclaves within the framework of necropolitics and the political ecology of migration. It explores how degraded territories, shaped by illegal mining, human trafficking, and the sex trade, function as both forces of expulsion and attraction. The theoretical framework integrates concepts of accumulation by dispossession and extractive biopolitics to understand how state control, labor precarization, and violence create differentiated mobility regimes, particularly affecting migrant women. The study focuses on Madre de Dios in the Peruvian Amazon, a region characterized by environmental degradation and territorial control through illicit economies, despite the state's claims of biodiversity protection. Using qualitative methods, including document analysis and interviews with local actors, the research reveals that historical configurations of territorial exploitation influence migration patterns in these enclaves. The article contributes to the political ecology of migration by demonstrating how extractive economies and structural inequalities shape migration flows in necropolitical contexts.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Extractivism and Socioeconomic Issues Mining and Resource Management Migration and Exile Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Migraciones Publicación del Instituto Universitario de Estudios sobre Migraciones
Issue
66
Pages
1–25
Publication date
19 January 2026
Language
EN