What happens when an oil company builds not just an industry, but an entire community? Historian Luis van Isschot traces the rise of Standard Oil's company towns in Colombia and Peru, where coveted jobs, housing and social services came with tight corporate control over everyday life. His research explores the workers and communities who challenged that power, and the lasting connections between oil extraction, inequality, violence and environmental harm. Luis was a 2025-26 JHI Faculty Research Fellow.
/https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/1/4/a/d14a73a63b0983ce27a2322813b393ee/Podcast_Cover.png)
/https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/e/6/e/5/e6e58172e7bb599288c4a68c3ddbc4f2/Podcast_Cover-20260918-rh6o43y54o.png)