Perspectives for the Historical Study of Rural Politics and the Colombian Case: An Overview

Este texto analiza las relaciones de producción de coca en el bajo putumayo (Colombia) como relaciones de patrón-cliente. El artículo sostiene que el intercambio de muestras tangibles de buena voluntad entre los intermediarios, por muestras intangibles de buena voluntad de los productores de materia prima, enmascara la subordinación del productor de materia prima en relaciones verticales de dominación y explotación. Mientras el productor de materia prima está en el nivel más bajo en esas relaciones, el intermediario representa sólo un corredor en una estructura triádica cuya cabeza está representada por el productor de cocaína. El análisis demuestra, sin embargo, que la forma particular de subordinación de los productores de materia prima, en cuanto a su sometimiento a la explotación, la violencia y la proyección de fuerza por grupos armados, descansa en gran medida en la capacidad que tenga el intermediario de negociar con el productor de cocaína.

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The impact of the Law of Justice and Peace on the growth of victims' movements in Colombia

Medina

Hector²

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This study is about social movements (SM) of victims in Colombia and how both legal and political opportunities opened by the Law of Justice and Peace in 2005 led to their visibility as social actors in the political arena. This research investigates the relationship of these organizations with political parties and the state in light of the internal conflict as a relevant variable. To illustrate my argument I build a narrative of the Colombian history analyzing the social, political, and economic circumstances that provoke the escalating violence, and in consequence the victims" existence. Then, I evaluate and classified the scholarship about SM, political parties, and the state, in three types: SM that aspire to become a political party, SM that try to rewrite the statesociety relationship from below, and SM that negotiate and cooperate with political parties but maintain their autonomy and independence. I used data from the National Prosecutor office and the Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, to prove the connections of the victims" organizations growth the peace and justice process carried out by the presidency of Álvaro Uribe with the paramilitaries. Data prove a significant increase of victims as both individuals and organizations since 2005. Findings demonstrate how political parties have systematically failed to address victims" claims, and the state stands as sole support of the victims" reparation. As a consequence, victims" organizations play a relevant role addressing this population needs negotiating directly with the state and the parties. Therefore, both political parties and the government have to undertake deliberate and straightforward policies and programs in favor of any form of social movements of victims.

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Perspectives for the Historical Study of Rural Politics and the Colombian Case: An Overview

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Local circumstances matter: the story of two peasant resistances in northwestern Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991

Local circumstances matter: the story of two peasant resistances in northwestern Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991

Tríadas putumayenses: relaciones patrón-cliente en la economía de la cocaína

The impact of the Law of Justice and Peace on the growth of victims' movements in Colombia

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