Resistance and Territorial Struggle: The Contentious Politics of Communities in the Face of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (2018–2024)

Abstract

This article examines the conflict between the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) megaproject and the communities of the region. Grounded in a contentious politics approach, the research demonstrates that, contrary to promises of development, communities are experiencing processes of territorial dispossession and exclusion from decision-making that threaten their biocultural heritage. The methodology employed integrates a review of press materials, semi-structured interviews with community leaders, participant observation, and audiovisual ethnography records documenting local experiences (fieldwork conducted from November 2023 to December 2024). This methodological approach allowed for a deeper understanding of community resistance to the CIIT and the strategies developed to counter state and private capital impositions. The analysis draws on social movement theories to examine the processes of organization and mobilization in defense of social and territorial rights. The study highlights the role of UCIZONI and APIIDTT as key actors in territorial defense. We conclude that these struggles for territorial defense go beyond mere survival, constituting acts of rights reclamation that set a precedent for other social movements confronting the consequences of global capitalism in their territories.