King of the Jungle: Comparative Analysis of the Geopolitical Narratives Surrounding Fordlandia and A Proposed Resort Park in El Mirador

Abstract

Environmental geopolitics is a field of study in which narratives about the environment are analyzed to reveal the underlying motivations and objectives they support. Using Shannon O’Lear’s (2020) framework of environmental geopolitics, I conduct a comparative analysis of the narratives surrounding two distinct development projects: Henry Ford’s historical company town in the Brazilian Amazon, Fordlandia, and a proposed ecotourism resort park in El Mirador, Guatemala. Analysis of Fordlandia reveals a narrative of American frontierism and a man-versus-nature perspective that served to paint the environment as belligerent and thereby justify corporate control and Indigenous assimilation. Narratives surrounding El Mirador differ, representing the environment as fragile and in need of protection. However, this representation fuels a similar conclusion to Henry Ford’s: that external control is necessary and that local communities are not capable of being stewards of their land. Ultimately, this comparison demonstrates how enduring geopolitical narratives—whether they frame the environment as antagonistic (Fordlandia) or fragile (El Mirador)—serve to undermine Indigenous sovereignty and land stewardship in favor of foreign capitalist development goals, thus highlighting development as an inherently geopolitical process that tends to disregard the autonomy of marginalized populations.