Reclaiming Rage as Utopian Force: Exploring a Latin American Ecodystopia

Long dismissed as irrational and destructive, rage emerges in the context of contemporary social and environmental crises as a vehicle of resistance and a catalyst for transformation. This paper explores the role of rage as a collective utopian force in Michel Nieva’s La infancia del mundo (2023), focusing on the character of the dengue child. Initially marginalized, silenced, and reduced to a discarded being, the dengue child represents a figure of social exclusion and systemic violence. The narrative traces the character’s journey from passivity and vulnerability to self-determined agency and a radical redefinition of their identity. In contrast to the dominant forms of violence that uphold power structures, the dengue child’s rage manifests as a counter-hegemonic force — an anarchic and collective rebellion against established norms. This paper emphasizes that, far from being destructive, rage holds the potential to reconfigure societal and environmental relations by offering a critique of the technocapitalist order and opening the door to alternative political imaginaries.