중남미

In this article we explain how groundwater is part of the network of power in the oasis of the Mendoza River in Argentina. Firstly, we briefly describe the hydrological and social characteristics of the Mendoza oasis. Next, we analyze the water extraction mechanisms and the use of groundwater in the drylands and how it fits into the fabric of social power. The great importance of drilling is analyzed through data provided from detailed ethnographic work, to show how this technology makes a huge difference in the drylands. Drilling is a central element of differential positioning and social exclusion devices because it can articulate a complex network of positions and provisions of social agents in the network of power.