Includes bibliographical references (pages [179]-199) and index.

Introduction -- Part I. Weaving the Americas together : the four "stages" of a new Darwinian tale -- The 1980s : development as "free markets", the demolition of the old and the rise of the new -- The 1990s : development as "good governance" and the consolidation of hegemony -- The new millennium : development as "poverty reduction" and the commodification of livelihood -- Obama, "change" and the disembedding of security in Latin America : the tension between polyarchy and democracy -- Part II. Transnational mining corporations : searching for "El Dorado" at the turn of the millennium : the Bolivian case -- The Amayapampa and Capasirca gold mines : double movement and state repression -- Multilateralism, population displacement and resettlement in San Cristóbal silver mines -- President Evo Morales' pachakutik : re-founding Bolivia as an indigenous nation -- Conclusion.