Sustained demand for commodities has partly sheltered Latin American countries from the effects of the global economic crisis. However, the drive for resources has fueled tensions over economic development strategies as well as the socio-geographic conditions under which extractive practices are implemented. Contention over the regulation of extraction prevails across right- and left-leaning countries as we enter an uncertain post-crisis scenario, not least with regard to energy and commodity markets. What political and institutional conditions enable a more restrictive policy approach on new extractive enterprises? This paper investigates how the extraction of shale oil and gas (through ‘fracking’) is being regulated in countries with significant potential for it, like Argentina and Brazil. The case of France, where fracking is banned, provides a necessary counterpoint to examine how advocacy coalitions assert their preferences by articulating knowledge and societal concerns with available opportunity structures.
