LatinoamériClark

One word that has been frequently used to describe Colombia has been “exception”. This image is usually exemplified by Colombia’s location between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean, by the wide range of ethnic mixes that constitute its present population (i.e., Native, Spanish, Arab, Mediterranean, Afro-Colombian), by its political history without wars or dictatorships but with a long-term armed conflict, and by a stable economy with virtually no crisis, among others.

“Order”, or more specifically, the lack of order (from the State’s point of view), has been another constant image. No distinctive strong indigenous state (like the Incas or Aztecas) was present before the Spanish rule and that, among other geo-historical characteristics of the Colombian territory, represented a huge challenge for establishing Colonial order. This perception of chaos and the need to enforce some order has also been constant throughout Colombian history.

Discourses and practices of inclusion/exclusion are crucial to understand violence in Colombia. Geographically (privileging the triangle Bogota-Cali-Medellin and excluding the Amazon, the Llanos and the Pacific Coast), demographically, and politically exclusion resides behind the territorial and socioeconomic tensions that enable the actual armed conflict and give meaning to it.

The use of those three images –exception, order and exclusion- served as axes for our discussion on several topics like: The evolution of Colombia’s guerrillas (specifically FARC and M19) their goals, differences and transformations. Who are and what are the paramilitary after? What is its relationship to the military and government?

The importance of the 1991 Constitution in creating a legal framework to recognize difference and diversity and stresses inclusion of he prior marginalized groups and spaces. Some discussion was held about the agency of the legal document in terms of actually generating social change. How is this change being manifested in local politics?

The new thrust of making order (politically and geographically) of Colombia (e.g., planes de ordenamiento territorial). The reasons why Uribe’s government was reelected with such high percentage. The reasons why the left in Colombia has been historically weak, but got an unprecedented high voting share in the 2006 elections.

latinoamerica, racismo, Colombia