Riqueza mineral y Pobreza en Los Andes

This article examines the paradox found in mineral-rich Andean countries where the sustained economic growth observed over the last decade has not provoked a corresponding decrease in poverty. The impact of the expansion of the extractive industries (mining and hydrocarbons) on these countries is addressed from the perspective of political economy, indicating that the permanence of poverty, in particular rural poverty in areas where mineral wealth is concentrated, can be explained by inconsistencies between the significant amount of tax revenue that national and regional governments receive from these industries and the ways in which said revenue is used in public policy. Among the factors which explain these inconsistencies are the failure of the State to design and implement social policies and the limitations of a development strategy based on the exploitation of non renewable resources. The argument is illustrated by the cases of Bolivia and Peru. © 2011 European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes.