Abstract

CANTAMUTTO, Francisco J.. Vaca Muerta and the Elusive Promises of Development in Argentina. Ens. Econ. [online]. 2020, vol.30, n.56, pp.185-209. ISSN 0121-117X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/ede.v30n56.82342.

This article analyzes the role of the energy sector in the development pattern in modern Argentina, through a political economy approach. Focused on the exploitation of hydrocarbons, energy has been considered both as a strategic asset and an interchangeable basic commodity in the world market. To study these changes, we focus on the exploitation of the unconventional site of Vaca Muerta. At this site we can observe how the natural resource went from a strategic asset in promoting industrialization to just being another source of foreign currency. Some continuities were found, among which, several stand out, such as the active role of the State, promotion through an ad hoc legal framework, the extractive bias of the operation and the official discourse on this investment opportunity as an engine for development -just as was the case for the pampa's fertile land in the late XIX century.

JEL: O1; O5; Q4; L5.

Keywords : development pattern; energy; Vaca Muerta; extractivism; Argentina; hydrocarbons.

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