Climate instability intensifies in Latin America and Caribbean, exposing systemic vulnerabilities
Original framing: “Extreme heat, floods and drought threaten lives across Latin America and Caribbean” — UN News
The current climate crisis in Latin America is deeply rooted in the colonial history of resource extraction and land dispossession. The region's vulnerability is a legacy of centuries of exploitation by European powers and modern extractive industries.
The climate crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean is not a natural phenomenon but a systemic outcome of historical exploitation, extractive economies, and weak governance.
Indigenous knowledge systems offer proven, sustainable alternatives that have been historically suppressed. By integrating these systems into climate policy, redirecting climate finance to local communities, and strengthening regional cooperation, Latin America can build a more resilient future. This requires a shift from top-down technocratic approaches to inclusive, community-led solutions that honor both scientific and traditional knowledge. The role of the trickster in this narrative is to expose the contradictions of climate inaction and the absurdity of global North-led solutions that ignore the agency of those most affected.