Drawing on theories of critical legal geography and critical development studies, this thesis examines how law shapes processes of repression and resistance in conflicts over resource extraction. Through the lens of Canadian mining in Guatemala and the specific case of Tahoe Resources’ El Escobal Mine, I reflect on how law impacts the production, control, and remaking of space and place. A discourse analysis of documents obtained via Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) requests, as well as an analysis of fieldwork notes and semistructured interviews conducted in Guatemala and Canada between May and September 2018, demonstrate that a lack of government oversight and accountability reinforces a status quo of impunity for human rights abuses related to Canada’s extractive sector. While home state litigation may enforce a measure of accountability for parent companies in their operations abroad, the ideological structures enabling mining corporations to operate with ease across borders remain intact.
