Work

Roads: Access to Civilization and Contact in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article analyzes the impact of road construction in the Ecuadorian Amazon as axes of social, cultural, and environmental transformation.Through a historical-ethnographic approach, it examines how the development of the so-called Auca and Maxus roads, built by oil companies, affected spatial appropriation and facilitated colonization, natural resource exploitation, and subsequent urbanization, while generating territorial and cultural conflicts with indigenous communities.Testimonies from local actors are integrated to illustrate the dynamics of change and resistance in the region.The study concludes that roads are not merely infrastructure for development but also symbols of a civilizing project that redefines the relationship between the forest, the state, and local communities.

Source: International Journal of Human Sciences Research

DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.5585425050213

Authors: Pablo Trujillo, Catalina Rivadeneira, Patricio Trujillo-Montalvo

Institutions: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Ecuador, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador

Language: English

Topic: Extractivism and Socioeconomic Issues

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: bronze

OpenAlex ID: W4407731426