2026/03/30 by Luíza Cerioli · 2 voices
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #African Studies and Geopolitics #Hispanic-African Historical Relations #North African History and Literature
paper · doi:10.1080/21622671.2026.2641057
openalex publication_date 2026/03/30 · openalex created_date 2026/03/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/15
The global push for decarbonisation has intensified demand for critical raw materials, reinforcing long-standing narratives in the Global South that natural wealth guarantees national growth and development. This article conceptualises the extractivist development myth, an enduring, adaptable belief linking resource abundance to socio-economic gains and progress, and examines its operationalisation in Algeria and Venezuela. Based on fieldwork and through a transregional political economy approach, it shows how the myth has legitimised state authority, policymaking and public expectations. Despite constant diversification rhetoric, extractivist logics persist and are now reframed around ‘green’ resources. The article highlights, therefore, how national imaginaries sustain extractivist models, entrenching uneven development amid the energy transition.