From La Loca de Gandoca to Today: Bioethical and Political Challenges of Gentrification in Indigenous Territories in Costa Rica

Abstract

This work explores the intersection of environmental ethics, indigenous rights, and socio-political resistance in the context of gentrification in Gandoca-Manzanillo, Costa Rica. It revisits the legacy of the iconic environmental novel La Loca de Gandoca by Anacristina Rossi, contextualizing its themes in the current sociopolitical landscape where development pressures, tourism, and political silence continue to threaten ecological balance and Indigenous territories. The study critiques the continued marginalization of Indigenous and coastal communities whose lands are increasingly targeted by tourism-driven development. While Costa Rica is internationally recognized for its environmental policies as a green, peaceful country, this work argues that the commodification of nature and the silencing of grassroots environmental defenders reflect deeper ethical contradictions. Through a philosophical lens rooted in bioethics and Latin American critical thought, the project engages with the concept of cuerpo-territorio, the precautionary principle, epistemic injustice, and decolonial ethics to question dominant narratives of sustainable development. The lack of official sources and active marginalization of affected voices underline the urgency and necessity of ethical academic intervention. The project seeks to highlight how forgotten narratives like La Loca de Gandoca remain painfully relevant and how ignoring them perpetuates historical violence under the guise of “green” economic development.