Extractivism in Latin America refers to the exploitation of natural resources in export-oriented activities, typically controlled by transnational corporations. While the region's history is closely connected to resource extraction, the expansion of neoliberal policies in the 1990s changed its political economy and gave way to neo-extractivism. Neo-extractivism, however, also thrived during the Latin American “Pink Tide,” when left-of-center leaders took power in the 2000s. In this context, extractivism posed dilemmas for grassroots social movements. On one hand, extractivism provided access to foreign currency which, in turn, granted economic and political stability. On the other hand, extractive activities negatively affected the environment and livelihoods of popular sectors, leading social movements to protest extractivism.