April 2025

Abstract

Renewable energy transition projects in Latin America have triggered several conflicts with marginalised populations, particularly indigenous communities, amplifying unjust externalities and deepening existing inequalities. This article investigates the influence of media representations in shaping perceptions of resistance movements against extractive projects in Guatemala. By analysing case studies from Alta Verapaz and Huehuetenango, it explores the mechanisms behind the persistence of such conflicts and the role of media narratives in managing disruptive actors. The study uses a power-agency matrix that identifies four frames for depicting resistance movements, highlighting the limitations of conventional methods of conflict resolution. Ultimately, my findings underscore the fact that resistance movements evoke deeper historical constructions of the ‘Other’, which shape decision-making processes, legitimise repression, and heighten elite anxieties about ‘backward’ development.