Constitutionalising Resistance? The ‘Plan De Vida’, Bienes Comunales, and the Long History of Green Grabbing in the Lacandon

Abstract In this article we explore the potential and significance of community constitutionalisation as a resource for resistance to ‘nice’ development programmes. Our case study is a recent development in the Lacandon region of Mexico where communities have created a community ‘Life Plan’, the Plan de Vida (PDV), as a means of contesting state-led environmental management programmes. Drawing on the long history of indigenous resistance in Mexico and examining the Life Plan through the lens of constitutionalism from below, we find that the PDV is a powerful example of grassroots constitutionalism that advances community resistance to green development projects and further destablises the ‘schizophrenic’ constitutional order in Mexico, thereby fortifying subaltern legalities.